Suicide prevention, occupational health, evidence synthesis and public engagement.
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 →
In late July, Nursing Times broke a story that made me go cold. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is under pressure after several nurses died by suicide during lengthy “fitness to practise” (FtP) investigations. This isn’t a minor procedural hiccup. It’s a system so sluggish and adversarial that it actively compounds distress. Nurses have... Continue Reading →
I was recently asked by a valued colleague if within the modern military historic understanding of malingering is still applicable: I argue yes, and that Social Media response turned into this article (again - oops) In 2003, Staff Sergeant Georg-Andreas Pogany, an interrogator with the U.S. Army’s Green Berets in Iraq, witnessed the gruesome aftermath... Continue Reading →
Neurodiversity, Suicide, and Occupational Health in Scotland - SOM Conference Recently I delivered this talk as a guest of the Society of Occupational Medicine, the given talk included a number of personal anecdotes which are not included here. I’m Dr. Simon Harold Walker, Senior Research Lead at the Healthy Working Lives Group at the University... Continue Reading →
This post is a dual post - its a story of my day yesterday which turned into a horrible end of day and reduced me to a mental health wreck desperate for support, overwhelmed with grief, hurt, and humiliation. But more importantly (I feel at least) is the SOLVE resource I've developed as a result... Continue Reading →
Nurse suicide is a recognisable issue both within the UK and Worldwide. Nurses in Scotland, like their counterparts in other parts of the UK, are at a heightened risk of suicide compared to the general population. Studies across the UK show that nurses are often at a higher risk due to several factors, including emotional... Continue Reading →
I am currently at the 4th IGPP Suicide Prevention Event in London, and as usual while the presentations are fantastic, the real discoveries are made in the chats next to the coffee machine. This has encouraged me to recycle an older piece I wrote about the issues of practical engagement with suicide prevention. This is... Continue Reading →
Nurses in the UK and Global are facing a crisis in terms of mental health and Suicide. Although a day late, my Mental Health Day post discussing my research into Nursing Suicide and my own lived experience of suicide.
The above image refers to an excellent initiative based in England and Wales that is focused on mental health support and suicide prevention for University Students. Contained within the booklet is guidance on how to support students suffering from ill mental health, statistics related to the number of student suicides, and initiatives designed to support... Continue Reading →
Dr Simon Harold Walker 