Mandy Gijzen

Dr. Mandy Gijzen is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogy. Her research focuses on youth suicidality, mental health prevention, and school-based intervention programs. She holds an external position at the Vlaams Expertisecentrum Suïcidepreventie (Flemish Centre for Suicide Prevention).

Key research areas include evaluating suicide prevention programs through meta-analyses, developing intervention protocols for adolescents, and studying pandemic mental health impacts. She has collaborated on projects funded by ZonMw and published findings in journals like BMC Public Health and Journal of Affective Disorders.

Recent work includes a 2023 study on Belgian suicide-ideators' care utilization and a 2021 feasibility study on serious games for depression prevention. Awards include the 2024 Recovery of Suicidal Thoughts grant and 2023 fellowship on vulnerable youth. She actively presents at academic conferences and contributes to clinical guidelines for suicide intervention.