Oxford University Centre for Suicide Research
The Centre for Suicide Research at Oxford University was established in 1998. It continues a line of research on self-harm and suicide that began in the early 1970s. Evidence produced at the CSR has been central to national policy on treatment and prevention of self-harm and suicide and support of people bereaved by suicide. The CSR also leads the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England.

Our work in suicide prevention
The Centre for Suicide Research (CSR) produces evidence-based reports on a wide range of topics relevant to suicide prevention and treatment of people who have self-harmed. With regard to self-harm these include systematic reviews of attitudes of clinical staff to self-harm patients, experiences of self-harm patients of services, psychiatric disorders in self-harm patients and effectiveness of treatments for self-harm patients.
We have had a particular focus on reduction of access to means for suicide. This includes producing evidence that has influenced national policies in relation to pack sizes of paracetamol and the withdrawal of co-proxamol, both of which initiatives we have evaluated over several years. With international colleagues we are also investigating the impact of safer storage of pesticides in reducing use of these for suicide in Sri Lanka.
We have developed training for police in assessment and management of people at risk of suicide. We hope this training may be rolled out nationally. We have also developed a clinical guide for clinicians assessing risk of suicide in people with depression.
We collaborate closely with research colleagues in other centres elsewhere in the UK and abroad. One example is through the Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England. Another is through the organisation of the Annual British Isles Research Workshop on Self-harm and Suicide.

Our current priorities
We plan to extend knowledge of the epidemiology and outcome of self-harm in England across the age span, include in relation to risk of suicide. We also plan to assess the economic costs of self-harm and preventative initiatives
We will also finalise a large-scale update of our Cochrane Review and disseminate the findings.

Our current challenges
Guides for parents and carers of young people who have self-harmed. We plan to develop and pilot these resources, with the help of advisory groups
