Self-injury, Suicide, and (Minority) Stress: Innovative Approaches to Understanding Mental Health and Illness in Diverse Groups
Non-suicidal self-injury and suicide are pernicious clinical problems disproportionately burdening minoritized communities. Scientific progress in these areas has been hampered by methodological challenges, limited examination of risk factors unique to marginalized groups, and a failure to consider how lived experiences of mental illness among psychologists influence research and clinical care. In this talk, I will present findings from three intersecting lines of research examining risk and protective factors for suicide and self-harm among high-risk populations. Results will be drawn from 1) ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies designed to understand within-person changes in suicidality during high-risk periods, such as after psychiatric hospitalization, 2) EMA projects examining gender minority risk and resilience among transgender and non-binary people, and 3) descriptive research on the prevalence and attitudes towards self-relevant research (“me-search”) among applied psychologists.