By Julie Janssens. “I don’t want you to include my parents in therapy!” “I hate them!” “They don’t love me…” “They will not understand what I am going through.” “They have enough on their plate already. I don’t want to burden them with my problems.” “It is like there is a huge skyscraper between us.”… Continue reading The importance of attachment in treating and investigating self-harm
By John F. Gunn III. I have always had an interest in theoretical perspectives of suicide – so much so that I convinced David Lester to edit a book on the topic with me [1]. I even attempted my own supposition on a theoretical framework some years ago [2]. However, as I developed as a… Continue reading Suicide in Context: How Bioecological Theory Could Advance Theories of Suicide
By A. Jess Williams. So, you’re doing a systematic review? Dear God. Panic stations. At some point, either you or your PI will say “hey, how about we start this off with a systematic review?” Sounds good right? Yep, very logically. But then you feel overwhelmed; how did you get to this point?! Fear not.… Continue reading Help! I’m doing a systematic review!
By Jessica Leather. Psychological science has been at the centre of many people’s minds since the COVID-19 pandemic began, especially those in search of effective public health messaging and coping strategies. Recently an expert panel in psychological science highlighted mental health as a research priority, due to the shifting social conditions and economic instability resulting… Continue reading Applying Behavioural Science to Self-harm Prevention
By Hilary Norman. “We often tell people to “ask for help” to “reach out”, to “share,” but there is a paradox at play here. It’s often when you’re struggling the most that you are least able to articulate what it is you are feeling and what you need.” @white_owly It’s not always easy to put… Continue reading When you don’t have the words…
By Hazel Marzetti. Yasmin: For LGBT+ young people specifically, just societally, if you have a feeling, especially when you’re young that you’re not going to be accepted and it’s going to be harder for you to sort of move through the world because of your identity, that brings a real feeling of hopelessness. Suicide is… Continue reading “What do you think would reduce LGBT+ youth suicide in the future?”
By Corbin J. Standley. As suicide researchers, we develop hypotheses, collect and analyze data, and draw conclusions to contribute to efforts to save lives and create lives worth living. Beyond these academic pursuits, however, we must also use our skills and expertise to influence community and social change. One step toward creating this change is… Continue reading Policy Change to Prevent Suicide: Turning Research into Action
By Cheryl Hunter. Have you ever spoken to someone who lived with ongoing suicidal thoughts and feelings? How would you know for sure that you haven’t? According to a community survey, one in five people experience suicidal thoughts at some point in their lifetime, and one in fifteen people act to end their own lives.… Continue reading “The burden of telling”: how our responses can silence people who live with suicidal thoughts, feelings and acts
By Austin J. Gallyer. There are many scientists in the field of suicidology who believe that there are reliable differences in the way the brain functions in people who think about or attempt suicide compared to those who don’t [1-3]. This belief that suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and psychiatric conditions in general, are driven by… Continue reading Are There Brain Differences in Those Experiencing Suicidality? It’s Complicated.
By Alexandr Kasal. Introduction After graduating from a Public and Social Policy Master study-program, and working as an intern within the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) in the Czech Republic, I was offered a job in in their Public Mental Health research group. One of the long-term goals of our efforts is to raise… Continue reading Coordinating the formulation of the National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention 2020-2030 (NAPSP)
By Abigail Paterson. I recently completed the data collection for the first study in my PhD and when I did, I realised that this also signalled the end of my first study which asked participants about their self-harm behaviour. It was two big milestones for me in my PhD and before I begin data analysis… Continue reading Reflecting on asking about self-harm for the first time
Institution: University of Pittsburgh, USA. Supervisory team: Jennifer Silk, Ph.D. Position: Clinical-Developmental Psychology Ph.D. student. Current research: I’m interested in how peer-related processes (i.e. rejection, social media) contribute to the development of adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. My research uses multimodal assessments, such as neuroimaging and ecological momentary assessment, to better understand the dynamics of… Continue reading Emily Hutchinson
Institution: University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Supervisory team: Dr. Stephen P. Lewis. Position: PhD student. Current research: Needs assessment for individuals in rural regions of Canada; online activity related to self-injury. Research interests: Suicide risk and prevention in rural populations Online self-injury activity (e.g., risks and benefits) Theoretical models of suicidal ideation and behavior Risk assessment… Continue reading Tyler R. Pritchard
By Kai Lim The arrival of the genomics revolution is changing many aspects of the world, including the study of psychiatry and mental health [1]. As the cost of genotyping declines over time, more people can be recruited in genomics studies, and we will be able to understand more about the genetic risks for different… Continue reading How can genetics help us understand self-harm?
By Erik Reinbergs. Measuring complex constructs related to suicide (i.e., suicidal ideation, planning, behaviors, intent, attempts, etc.) is extremely challenging. Many of these terms lack agreed upon definitions and are frequently used imprecisely, making accurate measurement difficult in even the best designed studies [1]. Without accurate measurement, however, the validity of psychological research is severely… Continue reading Highlighting measurement challenges in suicide research
YES! That's exactly it: netECR is organising its first ever e-Conference! And the good news is that the event will be free and open to anyone! 🙂 More information to come, but for now don't forget to put it down in your diary: Friday, 27th November 2020! Follow us on Twitter for updates and more… Continue reading netECR e-Conference 2020
Institution: Louisiana State University, United States. Supervisory team: Dr. Raymond Tucker. Position: PhD student. Current research and research interests: I am interested in understanding the phenomenology of suicidal thoughts and behaviours, primarily through the lens of resiliency and ecological precipitants. I am additionally interested in the various theoretical explanations of suicide phenomenology and am primarily… Continue reading Nicolas Oakey-Frost
Institution: School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, University of Queensland, Australia. Supervisory team: Professor Robert Bland and Dr John Drayton. Position: PhD Student. Current research: My current research project seeks to investigate and develop translational strategies for improving disclosure issues for people working in lived experience of suicide prevention roles. Research interests: Understanding the needs… Continue reading Martina McGrath
Institution: King’s College London, England. Supervisory team: Professor Fruhling Rijsdijk and Jean-Baptiste Pingault. Position: PhD student. Current research: I am interested to know about the aetiology of self-harm, especially if there are aetiological differences between suicidal and non-suicidal self-harm. In my PhD research, I will employ different methods to answer this question, including using genetically… Continue reading Kai Lim
Institution: 113 Suicide Prevention, The Netherlands. Supervisory team: Prof. Dr. Anton J. L. M. van Balkom and Dr. Renske Gilissen. Position: PhD Student. Current research: My PhD research is currently focused on evaluating the impact and feasibility of a Suicide PRevention Action NETwork (SUPRANET Care) in the Netherlands (www.supranetggz.nl). At this moment, sixteen Dutch specialist mental… Continue reading Kim Setkowski
