Project Overview
This study is a Health Research Board funded project led by Dr Isabela Troya, seeking to better understand the factors associated with self-harm and suicide risk in adults aged 60 and older.
The project began in February 2025 and will run for 40 months.
This research project builds upon previous NSRF research – see SHOAR
Project Work Packages
The research project consists of four work packages:
- Identify factors associated with suicide among older adults and examining the risk of suicide following hospital-presenting self-harm in this age group
- Investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital-presenting self-harm in older adults
- Explore the service needs of older adults experiencing suicidal behaviour from the perspectives of older adults, carers, and healthcare practitioners
- Co-produce guidelines and recommendations for suicide prevention in older adults in partnership with older adults, carers, and healthcare practitioners.
Project Aims
This project will produce guidelines to inform how best to support older adults with suicidal behaviour.
This will be achieved in collaboration with a Lived Experience Expert Advisory Panel and Academic/Clinician Expert Advisory Panel.
Advisory Panels
There are two Expert Advisory Panels that are involved throughout the different stages of this research.
Lived Experience Expert Advisory Panel
Jim Blighe, Anne Duffy, Paul Fagan, Joan Geoghegan, Danielle Nicholson, Ria Purcell, Denis Sheerin
Lived Experience Lead: Michael Norton
Academic/Clinician Expert Advisory Panel
NSRF (Internal) : Prof Ella Arensman, Dr Paul Corcoran, Dr Katerina Kavalidou
External: Prof Eugene Cassidy (Cork University Hospital), Dr Derek Chambers (HSE, National Mental Health Services), Dr Darren Dahly (School of Public Health, UCC), Dr Anne Doherty (UCD), Donagh Henebry (HSE Mental Health Services), Dr Caoimhe Lonergan (Department of Psychiatry, UCC), Sally-Ann Lovejoy (National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm/Suicidal Ideation), Dr Faraz Mughal (Keele University), Michael Norton (UCC), Prof Emma Wallace (General Practice, UCC)
Relevant Publications
Troya MI, Lonergan C, Cassidy E, Griffin E, Lovejoy SA, Mughal F, Russell V, Arensman E. Healthcare practitioners’ views of self‐harm management practices in older adults in Ireland: A qualitative study. International journal of geriatric psychiatry. 2024 Jul;39(7):e6116. doi.org/10.1002/gps.6116
Troya MI, Griffin E, Arensman E, Cassidy E, Mughal F, Lonergan CN, O’Mahony J, Lovejoy S, Ward M, Corcoran P. Hospital-presenting self-harm among older adults living in Ireland: a 13-year trend analysis from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland. International psychogeriatrics. 2024 May;36(5):396-404. doi.org/10.1017/S1041610223000856
Troya MI, Corcoran P, Arensman E, Kavalidou K. Patterns of hospital presenting suicide-related ideation in older adults before and during COVID-19: findings from a national clinical service in Ireland 2018-2021. Archives of suicide research. 2024 Feb 28:1-2. doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2024.2307882
