Fiona Shand

Fiona Shand is a Professor and Head of Suicide Prevention Research at the Black Dog Institute and the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention. She leads LifeSpan, Australia’s largest suicide prevention trial, which employs a multi-level systems approach to regional suicide reduction.

• Affiliations: Black Dog Institute, NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention

Research Interests: Fiona’s work spans suicide prevention, digital mental health interventions for at-risk populations, Indigenous suicide prevention, and health service research. Her team conducted Australia’s first randomised trial using an app to deliver therapy for suicide prevention among Aboriginal youth.

Article Trends: Fiona’s publications focus on resilience programs, suicide risk among drug users, Indigenous mental health, and emergency department care for suicidal individuals. Recent studies emphasize systemic reforms in healthcare settings and co-designed models for crisis management.

Projects: She oversees initiatives like RAFT (Reconnecting After Self-Harm), Co-Creating Safe Spaces (alternatives to emergency departments), and Understanding Mental Images About Suicide, which explores cognitive mechanisms in suicidal ideation. Her work with the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre addresses suicide risk among drug users.