Suicide in a Global Context -- Perspectives from the President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention: Interview with Dr. M

Global Trends in Suicide Prevention2020 IASP Logo.pngI have the tremendous privilege of traveling internationally to do the work of suicide prevention and suicide grief support. On hand, it’s very humbling to see how this tragedy shows up all over the globe. On the other hand, it’s very inspiring to see how different countries and cultures find innovative approaches to address suicide. In this podcast, I interview the current President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, Professor Murad Khan. We discuss some of the important cultural and social determinants of suicide as we look at why some countries’ suicide rates are going down, and why others — like the United States — are going up. We also share a number of ways that we can regain our humanity in a global cooperation effort in suicide prevention.About Dr. Murad M. KhanMurad Khan headshot B&W.pngDr. Murad M Khan, MBBS, MRCPsych, CCST, PhD is Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Psychiatry at the Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. He is also Associate Faculty at the Center for Bioethics & Culture (CBEC), Karachi. He received his psychiatric and research training in the UK. He is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists & obtained his PhD from King’s College, University of London.Prof. Khan is current President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and leads organization’s global suicide prevention strategy. He has published widely on suicidal behavior in Pakistan and developing countries, focusing on epidemiology and socio-cultural and religious factors in suicide and self-harm. His other research and clinical interests include mental health of women and elderly, medical and organizational ethics and narrative medicine.