Meeting reminder: The Psychology of Suicide Risk

Wednesday 31 October 2012
The Psychology of Suicide Risk
Professor Rory O’Connor, Stirling Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory, University of Stirling


Rory O’Connor is Professor of Psychology at the University of Stirling, Honorary Professor at University of Nottingham and President-Elect of the International Academy for Suicide Research.  He is a registered health psychologist who is broadly interested in self-regulation and health outcomes. Rory leads the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory (SBRL) at Stirling, the leading suicide/self-harm research group in Scotland.  He has published extensively in the field of suicide and self-harm, specifically concerning the psychological processes which precipitate suicidal behaviour and self-harm.  He is also co-editor of the recently published International Handbook of Suicide Prevention: Research, Policy and Practice (with Steve Platt & Jacki Gordon) and the forthcoming Routledge Major Works Collection on Suicide (with Keith Hawton) and co-author of Understanding Suicidal Behaviour (with Noel Sheehy).  

He is the UK National Representative for the International Association for Suicide Prevention and a member of the American Association of Suicidology.  He serves on the Scientific Review Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. He also serves on the Chief Scientist’s Office Population and Health Services Research committee, the Scottish Government Self-Harm Working Group and the National Suicide Prevention Review Group and the editorial boards of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Suicidology Online, Psychology & Health and Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Rory was also a member of the Guideline Development Group for the new NICE guidance on the longer term management of self-harm. He acts as an advisor to a range of national and international organisations including national governments on the areas of suicide and self-harm.