To mark World Suicide Prevention Day this year, we have released two new videos highlighting a selection of our research projects.
These projects ensure that suicide and self-harm prevention activities, in Ireland and globally, are informed by high-quality research and data.
1. In collaboration with HUGG, we are pleased to share a new commentary in Nature Mental Health describing the process, learnings, and implications of the AfterWords research collaboration.
We are delighted to present our Annual Report 2024, highlighting our outputs, achievements and activities for the year.
In 2024, the NSRF was involved in a total of 34 projects in the area of suicide, self-harm and mental health, and a summary of each project is included in our report.
NSRF staff members contributed to 23 peer-review articles, eight reports and presented more than 52 lectures at local, national and international seminars and conferences, including the European Symposium on Suicide and Suicidal Behaviour in Rome. We were also represented on several advisory and steering groups at national and international level.
Notable events hosted by the NSRF in 2024 included:
The World Mental Health Day Seminar held on October 10th, at which the Dr Michael J Kelleher Memorial Lecture was delivered by Professor Alexandra Pitman, University College London.
The 4th Suicide and Self-Harm Research Workshop, organised by the C-SSHRI Network.
The Global Leadership Exchange Comprehensive Community Suicide Prevention Match, which we co-hosted with the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, the Department of Health Ireland, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Two 2024 highlights were:
The continued development of our Lived Experience Panel, whose members now contribute to all aspects of our research and practice.
Developing, through extensive consultation with staff, governance groups and stakeholders, our new Strategic Plan, Leading Research Shaping Change 2025-2030. The Strategic Plan, launched in February 2025, will guide us on our vision over the coming years.
This report is a reflection of the dedication from every member of our team. We would like to say a big thank you to our team, and in particular to Niall and Sofia for compiling the content of the report.
On May 13th and 14th, 2025, educators from across Ireland came together for a national Train-the-Trainer event with one clear goal: to support the long-term delivery of a suicide prevention module for undergraduate health and social care students.
Left to right: Ms. Ailish O’ Niell, HSE-NOSP, Dr. James O’ Mahony, UCC, Dr. Eve Griffin, NSRF, Dr. Michelle O’Driscoll, NSRF. Ms. Kerrie Gallagher, NSRF and Dr. Claire Magner, UCD
Funded by the Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) initiative, the two-day event was a major step forward in the sustainable rollout of the “Prepare, Support, Prevent” module. Designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support people experiencing suicidal distress, the module has already been piloted in two Irish universities. Now, it’s ready to grow.
Thanks to this training programme, 13 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Ireland now have in-house capacity to deliver the module to their students. This marks a major milestone in suicide prevention education for future healthcare professionals.
Throughout the event, trainers explored best practices in teaching sensitive topics, discussed how to tailor content to local needs, and began planning for module implementation within their own institutions. The programme also opened important conversations about how the module can be embedded in curricula and evaluated on a wider scale going forward.
Train-the-trainer participants and facilitators May 2025, UCD
The event was co-led by a multidisciplinary team from the National Suicide Research Foundation, University College Cork, University College Dublin, and the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, including Dr. Michelle O’Driscoll, Ms. Kerrie Gallagher, Dr. Eve Griffin, Ms. Ailish O’ Neill, Dr. Paul Corcoran, Prof. Ella Arensman, Dr. James O’Mahony, Dr. Claire Magner, and Prof. Eilish McAuliffe.
By investing in educators, this initiative ensures that more students – future nurses, social workers, doctors, and allied health professionals – will be better prepared to respond with empathy, skill, and confidence in the face of suicide risk.
This is a hopeful step towards a better prepared workforce and, ultimately, safer, more supportive communities.
Three NSRF team members attended the 9th annual Suicide and Self-Harm Early and Mid-Career Researchers’ Forum in Glasgow from the 2nd-3rd June 2025.
The annual conference, hosted by the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, brought together researchers with a range of different expertise and experiences with a research focus on suicide and self-harm.
The forum offered the opportunity for attendees to connect, learn and be inspired by one another’s research as well as hearing from a range of invited speakers who provided insight into their work.
The presentations by the NSRF team members are listed below.
Grace Phillips
Oral Presentation: The social determinants of suicide: an umbrella review
Poster Presentation: Implementing the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality Framework (CAMS) in Student Counselling Services in Ireland
Dr Daniel O’Callaghan
Oral Presentation: A rapid review of best practice in suicide prevention for Gypsy, Roma, Traveller (GRT) populations
Zara Harnett
Oral Presentation: Let’s Talk About Suicide: Evaluation of a brief introductory online suicide prevention training programme.
Suicide doesn’t happen in isolation. It is often influenced by the world around us — our jobs, income, housing, education, and childhood experiences.
A recent study by members of our NSRF team, and funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention, reviewed a wide range of international research to better understand how these life circumstances — also called social determinants — can affect suicide risk.
The study found that people experiencing financial stress, unemployment, or difficult early life experiences were more likely to die by suicide. Poor housing and lower levels of education also showed some links, but more high-quality research is needed in these areas.
Importantly, the study highlights that while individual support and mental health care are crucial, we also need to address the bigger picture — like tackling poverty, improving social protection, and supporting vulnerable children.
The conference is a unique chance for researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and advocates from around the world to come together, share ideas, learn from one another, and work on real solutions to the global public health challenge of suicide and suicidal behaviours.
Our team will be presenting their research, leading discussions, and gaining insights from fellow experts.
One highlight will be the inagural Ella Arensman Special Lecture Award, celebrating individuals whose work bridges the gap between research, policy, and practice in suicide prevention. This award ensures that Ella’s incredible legacy of mentorship and cross-sector collaboration continues to inspire the next generation of suicide prevention professionals. We congruatulate Ella on this fantastic honour.
The Conference runs from 11 – 13 June, and we have no doubt our team will return back to the office enthused and eager to share their learnings. We wish the best of luck to all presenting.
You can keep up to date with conference presentations and insights on our LinkedIn page and following #iaspvienna2025
Members of our NSRF team have co-authored a new report that highlights the support needs of young people and their families after a suicide bereavement.
The National Self-Harm Registry Ireland is a system that records and reports information about people who visit hospital Emergency Departments for self-harm related injuries. We often refer to it as the ‘Registry’.
The Registry was established in 2000 by members of the NSRF team, working closely with our colleagues in the School of Public Health, UCC. It was set up at the request of the Department of Health and Children and is funded by HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention.
National Self-Harm Registry Ireland team 2025
It was the first Registry of its kind and is acknowledged by the World Health Organisation as a model for other countries to develop similar self-harm surveillance systems.
The Registry aims to:
▶️ Identify rising trends and at-risk demographics ▶️ Inform the progress of research and prevention ▶️ Contribute to policy and development
Each year, we produce a report based on findings from the data gathered by the Registry.
The Newsletter aims to keep you informed about our ongoing projects, and features recent research events and publications, as well as interviews with team members.
If you would like to learn more about any of our projects, publications or events, please email infonsrf@ucc.ie.
With thanks to the team for contributing content, and to Sofia and Niall for their editing and design skills.
