معرفی
Karen Wetherall is a Research Fellow specializing in Mental Health & Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow. She is based at the Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow and works within the Suicidal Behaviour Research Lab (SBRL). Her research focuses on understanding psychological factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Wetherall obtained an MA in Psychology from the University of Glasgow in 2002 and an MSc in Health Psychology from the University of Stirling in 2011. She is currently undertaking a PhD focusing on how social comparisons and perceptions of social rank impact suicide risk.
Her primary research interests include suicidal behavior, mental health and wellbeing, social comparison theory, social rank theory, and the integrated motivational-volitional (IMV) model of suicidal behavior. She has conducted extensive research on psychological processes in suicidal ideation and behavior, with a particular focus on entrapment, social comparisons, and suicide risk assessment.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on suicide prevention research, particularly during the pandemic period. Her work combines theoretical frameworks like the IMV model with practical applications for suicide risk assessment and intervention. She has made significant contributions to understanding how social factors, psychological processes, and pandemic-related stressors influence mental health outcomes and suicide risk.
Wetherall has secured competitive research funding, including a Carnegie Trust grant for studying post-partum suicidal ideation through the IMV model (2025-2026) and a Research Data Scotland grant for investigating perinatal suicide and self-harm (2024-2025).
She works closely with Professor Rory O'Connor and other colleagues at the University of Glasgow, contributing to the UK COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellbeing study and other collaborative research initiatives examining suicide risk factors across different populations.
