SEEING THROUGH THE DARKNESS

Rory O’Connor

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Rory O’Connor PhD FRSE FAcSS is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, Past President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Past President of the International Academy of Suicide Research. He is only the two person globally ever to hold both positions. He is a world leader on suicide research and prevention who has been working in the field for over 30 years. 

Rory leads the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory www.suicideresearch.info at the University of Glasgow, one of the leading suicide research groups internationally. He has published extensively in the field of suicide and self-harm, specifically concerning the psychological processes which precipitate suicidal behaviour and self-harm.  His research has been extensively cited as evidenced by being named in the ISI Highly Cited Researchers list – this highlights those researchers who are in the top 1% globally.

He is recipient of several awards including the International Association for Suicide Prevention’s Erwin Stengel Research Excellence Award, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Research Award and the American Association of Suicidology’s Dublin Award for Lifetime achievement in suicide prevention.

He is the author of the critically acclaimed and award winning When It Is Darkest (Vermilion, 2021). It won the British Psychological Society’s Popular Science Book Award (2021).  In addition, he is author of Understanding Suicidal Behaviour (with Noel Sheehy), co-editor of The Routledge Major Works Series on Suicide (with Keith Hawton) and of the International Handbook of Suicide Prevention (2nd edition with Jane Pirkis).  He serves on the Scientific Review Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is Editor-in-Chief of Archives of Suicide Research and Associate Editor of Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 

Rory acts as an advisor to a range of national and international organisations including national governments on the areas of suicide and self-harm.  He is also Chair of the Academic Advisory Group to the Scottish Government’s National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group.