Our Research Strategy


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.



Priorities are in line with Connecting for Life Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015-2020

  1. National Self-Harm Registry Ireland: Monitoring of all hospital treated self-harm cases since 2002
  2. Improving assessment and aftercare of self-harm patients presenting to Hospital Emergency Departments (HSE South)
  3. The association between intentional and unintentional injuries
  4. Self-Harm Registry Northern Ireland (NSRF is key collaborator)
  5. 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
  6. The interaction between psychological vulnerability and the impact of social contagion associated with self-harm (part of MARATONE)
  7. Types of drugs used in intentional drug overdose
  8. Risk and protective factors associated with high-risk self-harm (SSIS-ACE and IMPRESS)
  9. Risk and protective factors associated with self-harm among people with a history of frequent self-harm repetition (IMPRESS)
  10. Early identification and geospatial analysis ofemerging clusters of self-harm
  11. Cyberbullying, mental health and self-harm
  1. 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
  2. Risk and protective factors in relation to suicide among people who resided in industrial schools as children –Dissemination
  3. Improved prediction of suicide risk through linking self-harm and suicide mortality data
  4. Accuracy of recording systems
  5. Psychosocial, psychiatric and work related factors associated with suicide: a case-control study (SSIS-ACE)
  6. 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
  7. Psychological and physical outcomes in suicide survivors
  8. Early identification and geospatial analyses of suicide clusters
  9. Development of a Suicide and Self-Harm Observatory to access real-time data on suicide
Efficacy of intervention programmes for self-harm patients
  1. Five level community-based intervention project for depression and suicidal behaviour: (OSPI) - Dissemination
  2. Training of emergency department and mental health care staff in increasing awareness of self-harm and suicide
  3. Implementation and evaluation of an internetbased guided self-management intervention for young people and adults with mild to moderate depression (PREDI-NU)
  4. Effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological treatments for self-harm
  5. Effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes

    Attitudes towards suicidal behaviour and its prevention
  1. Attitudes towards suicide and its prevention among policy, health care and community-based professionals including politicians, coroners, GPs, nurses, pharmacists, Gardai etc.