Current Research

The research at SBRL takes many different forms.  We conduct naturalistic studies in real-world settings as well as experimental studies in the laboratory.  Employing both approaches (and utilising quantitative and qualitative methods), we investigate the relationship between psychological/social/clinical factors and suicidal behaviour.  Such factors include personality, cognitive and psychophysiological correlates of suicide risk.  We are also interested in the development of theory-informed psychosocial interventions and their implementation in real-world settings. 

A selection of our research is outlined below:

Naturalistic Studies
  • Scottish wellbeing study 
  • Psychological factors in self-harm 
  • Social Comparisons, perception of social rank and suicide risk 
  • Compassion and suicide risk 
  • Impact of patient suicide on practicioners
  • Investigating adolescent risk factors for suicide and self-harm 
  • Investigating how parents cope following the loss of a child 
  • Assessing whether social cognition models predict self-harm 
  • Developing & evaluating the Paediatric Anxiety and Depression Index 
  • Understanding what suicide notes tell us about the suicidal mind 
  • Investigating public attitudes to mental health and mental wellbeing 
  • Understanding the relationship between perfectionism and health 
  • Investigating the relationship between intimate partner violence and suicide risk 
  • Investigating the relationship between attachment, parental style and suicidal ideation
  • Impulsivity, decision-making & suicide risk
  • Multimorbidity and suicidal behaviour




Experimental Studies 
  • Facial expressions of emotion and suicide risk
  • Facebook and social media use and suicide risk
  • Self-compassion, autobiographical memory and self-harm
  • Behavioural (implicit) markers of suicide risk 
  • The relationship between social stress & pain sensitivity 
  • The relationship between defeat & pain sensitivity 
  • The relationship between stress reactivity and suicide risk 
  • Problem-solving and suicide risk 
  • Psychophysiology and self-harm 
  • Evaluating the relationship between health behaviours and wellbeing 
Qualitative Studies
  • Investigating the relationship between parental attachment and suicidal attempts
  • Understanding and exploring LGBT+ young people’s suicidal thoughts and attempts in Scotland
Interventions 
  • Testing the utility of safety planning interventions such as Safetel
  • Evaluating suicide prevention programmes 
  • Testing the utility of a volitional helpsheet to reduce self-harm
  • Assessing risk assessment measures within an NHS Trust