Suicide prevention, occupational health, evidence synthesis and public engagement.
A new military mental health bust for the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival at the Byres Community Hub, connecting military history, suicide prevention and our current CRSU veteran mental health research.
What makes continuing professional development genuinely effective? Drawing on my work redesigning occupational health education at the University of Glasgow, I explore how pedagogy, interactive technology and a little imagination can make learning more engaging, accessible and relevant to professional practice. From digital workplace simulations to occupational health assessments for the Power Rangers, sometimes the best way to learn is by doing.
For a comedian, gig work is fairly literal. The audience sees the minutes on stage but built around that performance is hours of writing, travelling, agonising, chasing bookings and, at least for most non-superstar comedians, working out the cost of performing. Applause and laughter is amazing, but it remains surprisingly difficult to use at the... Continue Reading →
We encourage people to ask for help, but what happens when they do? On World Suicide Prevention Day, I explore Scotland’s support pathways and propose research into who receives appropriate care, whether it helps, and what happens to those whose needs remain unmet. A referral is not the same as receiving care. Suicide prevention cannot end with the first conversation.
I am Dr Simon H. Walker, a researcher at the University of Glasgow working across occupational health, suicide prevention, workplace mental health, and evidence synthesis. My work focuses on how workplaces, institutions, and communities can better recognise and respond to distress before crisis point. I am particularly interested in suicide prevention beyond traditional clinical settings,... Continue Reading →
Copywrite - Nickdelves.co.uk 16 years ago, I lost a friend/family member to suicide. Today is her birthday, and I wanted to honour her with some memories and a discussion of the work I now do - namely suicide research and prevention. I am not arrogant enough to think that I could have done anything, but... Continue Reading →
Surveillance technologies are rapidly transforming mental health care, promising safety but delivering complex ethical challenges. Drawing on Griffiths et al. (2024) and Foucault’s concept of the panopticon, this reflection considers whether “smart wards” enhance care or merely extend institutional control. In an age of data-driven vigilance, the question is not how much more we can see, but whether we still understand what we are looking at.
Moving house is one of life’s big transitions. Boxes, memories, and a long to-do list. For most, it’s stressful but manageable. For others, especially those already carrying heavy burdens, such major life events can act as tipping points.Today, on National Suicide Prevention Day, I find myself in the middle of one of those life transitions.... Continue Reading →
We are facing a culling of creative arts, and it terrifies me. Currently, I work as an Occupational Health Researcher and Suicidologist at the University of Glasgow within the School of Health and Wellbeing, but I never aimed to be in medicine. Initially, I trained as a historian. My undergraduate and master’s degrees were based... Continue Reading →
This week The Independent went with a headline declaring that AI chatbots are “pushing people towards mania, psychosis and death – and OpenAI doesn’t know how to stop it.” It’s dramatic, designed to shock. But it misses the point that while AI has tremendous potential to cause harm, correlation is not causation, nor is the... Continue Reading →
