Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention: We Need Everyone

By Olivia Kirtley. Today is World Suicide Prevention Day.  Last week the World Health Organization (WHO) released the first ever World Suicide Report, showing that around 800,000 people die by suicide each year.  In fact, around the world, one person will die by suicide every 40 seconds, which means in the time it’s taken me… Continue reading Suicide Prevention: We Need Everyone

Suicide Prevention

The S Word: Talking About Suicide

By Olivia Kirtley. It is estimated that more than 800,000 individuals die globally each year as a result of suicide and for those aged 15-29 years old, suicide is the second leading worldwide cause of death after road traffic accidents 1. But we don’t whisper about car accidents, or exchange sideways glances when someone mentions… Continue reading The S Word: Talking About Suicide

Suicide Prevention

The Reach and Reaching Out of Suicide

By Olivia Kirtley. Today is World Suicide Prevention Day and around the world people are raising awareness of suicide prevention. The theme for this year is ‘reaching out, saving lives’. But what is the reach of suicide, and what does reaching out do? The Reach Every year, more than 800,000 people die by suicide around… Continue reading The Reach and Reaching Out of Suicide

Lived Experience

Who are the ‘Experts by Experience’ in Mental Health Research? – A personal reflection

By Laura Hemming. This blog is about my journey and identity as a researcher in an organisation that emphasises the importance of placing lived experience at the heart of mental health research. My journey as a researcher began a little over a year and a half ago when I was employed by the McPin Foundation… Continue reading Who are the ‘Experts by Experience’ in Mental Health Research? – A personal reflection

Research

New to research using high school samples? Three things that helped me

By Sarah Stanford. It's time. Two words that can spark excitement or relief. It's time to finish work. It's time for the party to start. It's time to get a coffee. It's time to take off your skinny jeans. But in this instance, these two words did not spark excitement. Instead, my heart felt a… Continue reading New to research using high school samples? Three things that helped me

Academia

One of these is not like the others: Imposter syndrome within early career researchers

By A. Jess Williams. Recently, a senior professor has taken to saying to me “calm down, things go wrong, nothing’s perfect”. Sounds grand, right? But to my way of thinking, this is telling me that I’ve done something wrong or that people think I’ve made a mistake - that’s frustrating for anyone, but my sneaky… Continue reading One of these is not like the others: Imposter syndrome within early career researchers

Suicide Prevention

On sharpening knives, stigma and mental health

By Tiago Zortea. Ten years ago, in the second year of my undergraduate course in Psychology, I came across a short book chapter that caused me to rethink many of the ways in which I understood mental health: The actress, the priest, and the psychoanalyst: The knife sharpeners, written by the Brazilian Professor of Social… Continue reading On sharpening knives, stigma and mental health

Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention: From Illness and Risk Factors, to Thoughts and Actions

By Tiago Zortea. As a PhD student carrying out research in suicidality, I am recurrently asked why people take their own lives. The thing is, there is not an obvious, quick, or complete answer. Suicide is a complex phenomenon, and it involves biological, psychological and social factors that interact with each other, and these interactions… Continue reading Suicide Prevention: From Illness and Risk Factors, to Thoughts and Actions

Suicide Prevention

Eleanor Rigby, Loneliness, and Suicide

By Tiago Zortea. “Ah look at all the lonely people! All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong?” The thought provoking, sad, and very reflective Beatles’ song, “Eleanor Rigby” shocked me when I listened to it for the first time many years ago. For… Continue reading Eleanor Rigby, Loneliness, and Suicide

Suicide Prevention

Is it dangerous to ask or talk about suicide?

By Tiago Zortea. This is an understandable concern. Suicide is a delicate issue since it involves suffering, emotional pain, and sometimes stigma for those who have lost loved ones through suicide or feel suicidal themselves [1]. In addition, there is a well-known phenomenon called the “Werther effect” (or copycat suicide) where a person bases a… Continue reading Is it dangerous to ask or talk about suicide?

Suicide Prevention

Suicide prevention at the individual level: The role of empathy in saving lives

By Tiago Zortea. Every year, the 10th of September marks world suicide prevention day, with thousands of people across the globe calling for action to reduce deaths by suicide and save lives [1]. Suicide prevention strategies can be implemented at several different levels with interventions including: (i) restricting individuals’ access to the means of suicide,… Continue reading Suicide prevention at the individual level: The role of empathy in saving lives

Suicide Prevention

On 13 Reasons Why: Acknowledging those working in suicide prevention

By Katerina Kavalidou. “No matter what you are going through, there is help out there; suicide is not the solution” The above is an important message from Professor Rory O’Connor, an expert on suicide research and prevention, regarding the recent airing of 13 Reasons Why, a TV series about a teenage girl’s suicide. Reading this,… Continue reading On 13 Reasons Why: Acknowledging those working in suicide prevention

Academia

LHR-BOS-LHR and the learning in between: Reflections on an OIV visiting fellowship

By Emma Nielsen. Hands up who has a favourite academic paper? You might not like to admit it but, if you do, you are amongst company. I certainly have a favourite. It is a paper I read as an undergraduate that challenged my thinking and got me engaged and questioning in a way no other… Continue reading LHR-BOS-LHR and the learning in between: Reflections on an OIV visiting fellowship

Lived Experience

Emma Nielsen – “Me too”: Mental health and disclosure as an Early Career Researcher

By Emma Nielsen When I’m not PhD-ing I’m often covered in paint. Recently, I gifted two paintings to the ‘crisis house’ that helped me and held me together earlier this year. Today, I received the most unexpected of thank you cards from the house. It was one of those game changing, reflective moments and I… Continue reading Emma Nielsen – “Me too”: Mental health and disclosure as an Early Career Researcher

Suicide Prevention

Mind your ‘C’s and ‘S’s: The Language of Self-harm and Suicide (and why it matters)

By Emma Nielsen. We all say things that we don’t mean sometimes. Perhaps the time that you snapped at the end of a long day or said that deliberately hurtful comment in the heat of an argument. Sometimes these instances are easily recognisable (perhaps easily apologised for). However, often our language conveys more subtle messages… Continue reading Mind your ‘C’s and ‘S’s: The Language of Self-harm and Suicide (and why it matters)

Suicide Prevention

Media Matters: The impact of media reporting of suicide

By Emma Nielsen. Sometimes it feels like the world is full of a lot of rules: don’t walk on the grass, eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, double space after a period if (and only if) that full stop marks the end of the sentence in APA formatting. Sometimes this guidance feels… Continue reading Media Matters: The impact of media reporting of suicide