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Dr Jo Bell's Outputs (20)

Public and mental health professionals’ perspectives on social media and suicide exposure (2025)
Journal Article
Bell, J., & Westoby, C. (2025). Public and mental health professionals’ perspectives on social media and suicide exposure. BMC public health, 25(1), Article 1380. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22587-6

Background
The rapid evolution of social media in recent years has increased public exposure to suicide. While research has highlighted concerns about the role of social media in facilitating harmful discourse and imitative suicidal behaviour, there... Read More about Public and mental health professionals’ perspectives on social media and suicide exposure.

Understanding impact and factors that improve postvention service delivery: findings from a study of a community-based suicide bereavement support service in England (2024)
Journal Article
Bell, J., Cunnah, K., & Earle, F. (online). Understanding impact and factors that improve postvention service delivery: findings from a study of a community-based suicide bereavement support service in England. Mortality, https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2024.2417299

This article reports on a two-year study of a community-based suicide postvention support service in the UK. Attention centres on the implementation of four integrated elements within the service model: multi-agency working with real-time suicide sur... Read More about Understanding impact and factors that improve postvention service delivery: findings from a study of a community-based suicide bereavement support service in England.

More than signposting: Findings from an evaluation of a social prescribing service (2022)
Journal Article
White, C., Bell, J., Reid, M., & Dyson, J. (2022). More than signposting: Findings from an evaluation of a social prescribing service. Health and Social Care in the Community, https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13925

This paper presents findings from an evaluation of a social prescribing service, undertaken between January 2019 and December 2020. Data was collected through interviews and focus groups with a range of groups including social prescribing managers, l... Read More about More than signposting: Findings from an evaluation of a social prescribing service.

A Sort of Permanence: Digital Remains and Posthuman Encounters with Death (2022)
Journal Article
Segerstad, Y. H. A., Bell, J., & Yeshua-Katz, D. (2022). A Sort of Permanence: Digital Remains and Posthuman Encounters with Death. Conjunctions : Transdisciplinary Journal of Cultural Participation, 9(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.2478/tjcp-2022-0001

Digital remains, in the shape of devices and traces of digital content and interaction stored on the devices them selves and online, left behind by the deceased have come to play important parts in the lives of those who live on. With a posthumanist... Read More about A Sort of Permanence: Digital Remains and Posthuman Encounters with Death.

Signs of Safety and the Paradox of Simplicity: Insights from Research with Social Work Students (2022)
Journal Article
White, C., Bell, J., & Revell, L. (in press). Signs of Safety and the Paradox of Simplicity: Insights from Research with Social Work Students. Practice: Social Work in Action, https://doi.org/10.1080/09503153.2022.2045009

Signs of Safety (SOS) is a widely adopted approach in child protection internationally. However, very little is known about the effectiveness of students’ learning and engagement with this approach. To our knowledge, this is the first study to explor... Read More about Signs of Safety and the Paradox of Simplicity: Insights from Research with Social Work Students.

Suicide Exposure in a Polymediated Age (2021)
Journal Article
Bell, J., & Westoby, C. (2021). Suicide Exposure in a Polymediated Age. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 694280. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694280

With growing evidence that media plays a vital role in shaping public understanding of suicidality and influencing behaviours, media portrayals of suicidality have for some time been the focus of suicide prevention efforts. Traditional media has chan... Read More about Suicide Exposure in a Polymediated Age.

Societal Expectations and Well-being of Academics: Views from University Lecturers in Ghana (2020)
Journal Article
Ofori, D. W., & Bell, J. (2020). Societal Expectations and Well-being of Academics: Views from University Lecturers in Ghana. Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science, 33(10), 74-84. https://doi.org/10.9734/jesbs/2020/v33i1030266

Background: The study aimed to investigate how societal expectation on educational accomplishments can affect workplace well-being of university lecturers. University education is seen by society as the highest level of educational accomplishment in... Read More about Societal Expectations and Well-being of Academics: Views from University Lecturers in Ghana.

Suicide-Related Internet Use Among Suicidal Young People in the UK: Characteristics of Users, Effects of Use, and Barriers to Offline Help-Seeking (2017)
Journal Article
Bell, J., Mok, K., Gardiner, E., & Pirkis, J. (2018). Suicide-Related Internet Use Among Suicidal Young People in the UK: Characteristics of Users, Effects of Use, and Barriers to Offline Help-Seeking. Archives of Suicide Research, 22(2), 263-277. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2017.1334609

The study replicates earlier research using a UK sample to examine differences between suicidal people who go online for suicide-related reasons and suicidal people who do not, perceived effects of suicide-related Internet use, and perceived barriers... Read More about Suicide-Related Internet Use Among Suicidal Young People in the UK: Characteristics of Users, Effects of Use, and Barriers to Offline Help-Seeking.

‘We do it to keep him alive’: bereaved individuals’ experiences of online suicide memorials and continuing bonds (2015)
Journal Article
Bell, J., Bailey, L., & Kennedy, D. (2015). ‘We do it to keep him alive’: bereaved individuals’ experiences of online suicide memorials and continuing bonds. Mortality, 20(4), 375-389. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2015.1083693

This paper presents draws on interviews with individuals who have experience of creating, maintaining and utilising Facebook sites in memory of a loved one who has died by suicide. We argue that Facebook enables the deceased to be an on-going active... Read More about ‘We do it to keep him alive’: bereaved individuals’ experiences of online suicide memorials and continuing bonds.

Insights into the processes of suicide contagion: narratives from young people bereaved by suicide (2015)
Journal Article
Bell, J., Stanley, N., Mallon, S., & Manthorpe, J. (2015). Insights into the processes of suicide contagion: narratives from young people bereaved by suicide. Suicidology online, 6(1), 43-52

Death by suicide can have a profound and long lasting impact on the people left behind. Research has demonstrated that, in comparison to the general population, those bereaved by suicide, particularly young people, are at increased risk for suicide.... Read More about Insights into the processes of suicide contagion: narratives from young people bereaved by suicide.

Continuing social presence of the dead: Exploring suicide bereavement through online memorialisation (2014)
Journal Article
Bailey, L., Bell, J., & Kennedy, D. (2015). Continuing social presence of the dead: Exploring suicide bereavement through online memorialisation. The new review of hypermedia and multimedia, 21(1-2), 72-86. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614568.2014.983554

© 2014 The Author(s). The last 10 years have seen a rise in Internet sites commemorating those lost to suicide. These sites describe the life of the deceased and the afterlife of relatives, parents, friends or siblings who have been termed the "forgo... Read More about Continuing social presence of the dead: Exploring suicide bereavement through online memorialisation.

Harmful or helpful? The role of the internet in self-harming and suicidal behaviour in young people (2014)
Journal Article
Bell, J. (2014). Harmful or helpful? The role of the internet in self-harming and suicidal behaviour in young people. Mental Health Review Journal, 19(1), 61-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/mhrj-05-2013-0019

Purpose: The internet plays an important role in the lives of self-harming and suicidal young people yet little is known about how internet use influences this behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evidence base with a view to determ... Read More about Harmful or helpful? The role of the internet in self-harming and suicidal behaviour in young people.

Life will never be the same again: examining grief in survivors bereaved by young suicide (2012)
Journal Article
Bell, J., Stanley, N., Mallon, S., & Manthorpe, J. (2012). Life will never be the same again: examining grief in survivors bereaved by young suicide. Illness, Crisis and Loss, 20(1), 49-68. https://doi.org/10.2190/IL.20.1.e

This article explores existing assumptions about the nature of bereavement by suicide. Drawing on data from a U.K. study of student suicide, we hope to contribute to a fuller understanding of the uniqueness of bereavement by suicide and new pathways... Read More about Life will never be the same again: examining grief in survivors bereaved by young suicide.

The role of perfectionism in student suicide : three case studies from the UK (2010)
Journal Article
Bell, J., Stanley, N., Mallon, S., & Manthorpe, J. (2010). The role of perfectionism in student suicide : three case studies from the UK. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 61(3), 251-267. https://doi.org/10.2190/OM.61.3.e

A number of studies have investigated the relationship between suicide and perfectionism but none to our knowledge have been based on studies of completed suicides. This article aims to provide important insight into the potency that certain profiles... Read More about The role of perfectionism in student suicide : three case studies from the UK.

Suicidal students’ use of and attitudes to primary care support services (2010)
Journal Article
Stanley, N., Mallon, S., Bell, J., & Manthorpe, J. (2010). Suicidal students’ use of and attitudes to primary care support services. Primary Health Care Research and Development, 11(04), 315-325. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423610000149

Aim: The aims of this study were to improve responses to students in distress and who are feeling suicidal, to help practitioners to increase their responsiveness to those at high risk of suicide and to develop effective responses to those affected b... Read More about Suicidal students’ use of and attitudes to primary care support services.

Trapped in transition: findings from a UK study of student suicide (2009)
Journal Article
Stanley, N., Mallon, S., Bell, J., & Manthorpe, J. (2009). Trapped in transition: findings from a UK study of student suicide. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 37(4), 419-433. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069880903161427

This study of student suicide within UK higher education directs attention to the community context of suicide. A modified psychological autopsy approach was used to explore 20 case studies of student suicide from the period 2000-2005, drawing on the... Read More about Trapped in transition: findings from a UK study of student suicide.

Why embarrassment inhibits the acquisition and use of condoms: A qualitative approach to understanding risky sexual behaviour (2008)
Journal Article
Bell, J. (2009). Why embarrassment inhibits the acquisition and use of condoms: A qualitative approach to understanding risky sexual behaviour. Journal of Adolescence, 32(2), 379-391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.01.002

This article is based on research commissioned by the UK Government's Teenage Pregnancy Unit. The Living on the Edge (LOTE) study qualitatively explored factors that shape young people's experiences and attitudes towards sexual behaviour and young pa... Read More about Why embarrassment inhibits the acquisition and use of condoms: A qualitative approach to understanding risky sexual behaviour.

The social reality of the imaginary audience: A grounded theory approach (2003)
Journal Article
Bromnick, R. D., & Bell, J. H. (2003). The social reality of the imaginary audience: A grounded theory approach. Adolescence -San Diego-, 38(150), 205-219

Traditional approaches to understanding the imaginary audience are challenged in this study. Three hundred sixty-one British schoolchildren (aged 14 and 15 years) were asked to express their worries and concerns, using grounded theory methodology. Qu... Read More about The social reality of the imaginary audience: A grounded theory approach.