Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In the United Kingdom, suicide cases have been on the rise with suicide attempts ranking among the leading causes of referral to UK mental health services. Early stages of psychotic disorders particularly present the highest risk of suicidality with findings of up to more than half of First Episode Psychosis (FEP) cases initially exhibiting suicidal ideation. Intervening early in these early phases may therefore radically alter patients’ prognoses.

Early Intervention services for Psychosis (EIP) provide care after initial presentation and are therefore a potential context for embedding suicide prevention interventions, but these are not currently a routine part of care. Further, relatively little is known about the risk factors for suicidal ideation and completed suicide in early psychosis. Understanding the burden and risk factors related to suicidal behaviour is crucial in developing holistic and comprehensive suicide prevention strategies and in identifying high-risk groups for whose needs these strategies should be tailored.

The overarching aim of my research is therefore to develop the evidence base for targeted suicide prevention interventions in early psychosis. In doing this, I shall also explore stakeholders’ perceptions on the feasibility and acceptability of embedding suicide prevention interventions within EIP services.