Dr. Philip O'Keeffe
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Draft article for 'Mind Matters' feature - reproduced with permission of The Irish News. 

24/1/2014

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Mental health? Mental illness? Mental disorders? On the radio in the 1940’s, a celebrated english philosopher, Cem Joad, used to preface his response to any question with this opener: “it all depends on what you mean” (*). Perhaps we would do well to follow Joad’s practice whenever any of these ‘mental’ terms are used...
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My presentation at Downe Hospital, Downpatrick (March 2012)

24/1/2014

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I am a part-time lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast (N Ireland). I work in private practiceas a psychotherapist with referred clients and am a consultant in suicidology. In this article Idiscuss my personal experience in research suicidology and offer insights into thepredicament of survivors of bereavement by suicide, in particular family members andhealthcare professionals. Perhaps it’s useful to state at the outset that I have no formal medical qualifications. However I have completed a postgraduate diploma in guidance andcounselling (1999), a research master’s (2001) and a research doctorate (2010) at Universityof Ulster (Jordanstown campus, N. Ireland). Each of these courses included research studies into the predicament of those experiencing the aftermath of another’s death by suicide.
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My presentation at IAS, Oct 2005

24/1/2014

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Any serious investigation into suicide and its prevention involved focusing on a relatively narrow area of what was a massive field. ‘There is a huge mass of material on the topic
and it grows larger every year…Nearly everyone has his/her own ideas about suicide.’(Alvarez , 1974). My thinking was straightforward: it was not possible to doanything to prevent the suicide of a person who had already taken their own life. But I was interested in the predicament of loved ones left to pick up the pieces: I knew what had happened to me – I benefited from expert, effective counselling. But I wondered about the influence of suicidal bereavement on others and began to research the subject
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My presentation at Downe Hospital, Downpatrick (March 2012)

24/1/2014

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It is my privilege to have been invited to speak to you today. Perhaps it’s useful to state at the outset that I have no formal medical qualifications. However I have completed a research master’s (2001) and a research doctorate (2010) at Jordanstown. Each of these studies explored the predicament of those experiencing the aftermath of another’s death by
suicide.

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Launch Belfast Centre for Study of Suicide Tue 27 Aug 2013

5/10/2013

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 It’s good to welcome you here today – I hope that by the close you will feel that your valuable time here was invested wisely in observing the genesis of a productive and appreciating asset. And what is that potential asset? 

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Draft article for 'Mind Matters’ feature - reproduced with permission of The Irish News

5/10/2013

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“Each one of us can do a little to bring some portion of the misery to an end”. So said 1952’s Nobel peace prize winner Albert Schweitzer (*) in his autobiography.

The expression “reverence for life” captures Schweitzer’s philosophy. A polymath, renowned as theologian, musician and philosopher, Albert Schweitzer qualified as a doctor aged 37 years. For over 50 years until 1965, he dedicated himself to work in West Africa as a medical missionary, physician and surgeon in the hospital he founded at Lambaréné, Gabon. He died and was buried there, his grave being marked by a cross he made himself (**)...


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Draft article for 'Mind Matters’ feature - reproduced with permission of The Irish News

5/8/2013

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Suicide is a conversation stopper. You know this – that’s why you rarely if ever mention it in company. If you were unfortunate enough to lose a relative or close friend to suicide, you wouldn’t advertise this; you know from sad experience that once the S-word is mentioned silence often follows. It’s estimated that up to 60 people including relatives, friends, neighbours, peers and work colleagues are psychologically affected, to a greater or lesser degree in the aftermath of suicide. That’s an awful lot of silence...


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Draft article for 'Mind Matters’ feature - reproduced with permission of The Irish News

15/7/2013

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Somerset Maugham is credited with summing it all up when, in addressing a friend’s class on English literature, he was asked by a student how to write a novel. Maugham’s answer was: “There are three rules for the writing of a novel. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.” ...


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