In a special series for September, National Suicide Prevention Month, VIS Expert, Dr Kimberly O’Brien discusses mental health and suicide prevention for student-athletes. Dr. O’Brien is currently a Clinical Social Worker in the Sports Medicine Division and Female Athlete Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is also a Research Scientist and Assistant Professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Kimberly played ice hockey at Harvard University and obtained her Masters in Social Work and PhD at Boston College. She continued on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University where her research focuses on the development and intervention for suicidal adolescents.

 In this episode, Kimberly speaks about suicide prevention and suicide awareness. She shares with us important mental health resources and ways that we can speak about suicide in order to best help ourselves and the people around us. Most importantly there are resources if you or a loved one is struggling, and “sometimes it just takes finding the right fit and it's out there for you.” -Dr. Kimberly O’Brien. 

If you or someone in your life is struggling with suicide, you can dial 988 for the National Suicide Hotline or you can reach out to a counselor or doctor; on the VIS platform we also have a network of incredible counselors and experts like Kimberly. Please know you are not alone.