Aim
To produce a nationally and internationally recognised body of reliable knowledge from a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspective on the risk and protective factors associated with suicidal behaviour, and the effectiveness of self-harm intervention and suicide prevention programmes.
Outcome
A solid evidence base for policy development and intervention in the prevention of suicide and the management of patients presenting with self-harm.
Priorities are in line with Connecting for Life Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015-2020
Self-harm
Suicide
- National Self-Harm Registry Ireland: Monitoring of all hospital treated self-harm cases since 2002
- Improving assessment and aftercare of self-harm patients presenting to Hospital Emergency Departments (HSE South)
- The association between intentional and unintentional injuries
- Self-Harm Registry Northern Ireland (NSRF is key collaborator)
- In-depth analyses and dissemination of the data from the studies: Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) and Child and Adolescent Self-harm in Europe (CASE) in collaboration with national and international researchers
- The interaction between psychological vulnerability and the impact of social contagion associated with self-harm (part of MARATONE)
- Types of drugs used in intentional drug overdose
- Risk and protective factors associated with high-risk self-harm (SSIS-ACE and IMPRESS)
- Risk and protective factors associated with self-harm among people with a history of frequent self-harm repetition (IMPRESS)
- Early identification and geospatial analysis ofemerging clusters of self-harm
- Cyberbullying, mental health and self-harm
Suicide
- Implementation of a Suicide Support and Information System: A study in the Cork region
- a. Improved facilitation of support to those bereaved by suicide,
- b. Identification of risk factors associated with suicide,
- c. Identification of emerging suicide clusters - Dissemination
- Risk and protective factors in relation to suicide among people who resided in industrial schools as children –Dissemination
- Improved prediction of suicide risk through linking self-harm and suicide mortality data
- Accuracy of recording systems
- Psychosocial, psychiatric and work related factors associated with suicide: a case-control study (SSIS-ACE)
- Research into a potential suicide cluster among people who died by suicide and who were in contact with the Donegal Mental Health services at time of death
- Psychological and physical outcomes in suicide survivors
- Early identification and geospatial analyses of suicide clusters
- Development of a Suicide and Self-Harm Observatory to access real-time data on suicide
Efficacy of intervention programmes for self-harm patients
- Five level community-based intervention project for depression and suicidal behaviour: (OSPI) - Dissemination
- Training of emergency department and mental health care staff in increasing awareness of self-harm and suicide
- Implementation and evaluation of an internetbased guided self-management intervention for young people and adults with mild to moderate depression (PREDI-NU)
- Effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological treatments for self-harm
- Effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes
- Attitudes towards suicidal behaviour and its prevention
- Attitudes towards suicide and its prevention among policy, health care and community-based professionals including politicians, coroners, GPs, nurses, pharmacists, Gardai etc.