Bergljot Gjelsvik

My research goal is to improve the understanding of the transition from suicidal ideation to suicidal acts. This is significant as it may offer novel and more effective ways to treat people at risk of suicide.

We are part of the research group within the Oxford Mindfulness Centre (PI Professor Willem Kuyken) and Centre for Suicide Research (PI Professor Keith Hawton).  We endeavour to identify cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying persistent risk of suicidal behaviour in the context of recurrent depression, using experimental, qualitative, digital sampling and neural imaging methods. The ultimate aim of the Mindlock Project is, on the basis of this knowledge, to develop novel interventions for people at risk of suicide, a group which has proven perennially difficult to treat.

Ongoing work in our team suggests that people at risk of suicide struggle with cognitive flexibility, and that mindfulness-based interventions might have merit. You can read more about what we know about the effects of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and how it works in the context of recurrent depression here

Our work is funded by the Mind and Life Institute, US, the National Program for Integrated Clinical Specialist and PhD-training for Psychologists in Norway, and the University of Oslo, Norway.

If you have been depressed and suicidal in the past, you might be eligible for one or several of our ongoing studies. If you would consider taking part, or would like to know more about the Mindlock Project, please feel free to email us at mindlock@psych.ox.ac.uk. You can also self-screen here

For more about our work follow us on social media

Follow Oxford Mindfulness Centre on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Youtube