Dedicated to EMDR Research in Suicide Prevention and Survivor Support

Suicide. Despite advances in mental health treatment, suicide rates are steadily on the rise in all age groups. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death each year in the United States. Each year over 44,000 people die by suicide and for each one of those, 25 have tried.  On average there are 121 completed suicides in the United States each day (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.) For each person who takes his or her own life, there are myriads of family members and friends who live with the aftermath. While there are hypotheses about the causes and the effects, solid knowledge is very limited.   

More research is needed to ease the suffering caused by the tragedy of suicide. Case reports indicate that Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy may make a difference in suicide prevention and treatment of those who are at high risk of suicide, as well as the treatment of those who have lost a loved one to suicide or been exposed to suicide attempts.   Solid research is needed to expand our knowledge so that help can become available. (Abel, 2010; Hogberg, 2008; Hughes, 2014; Jarero 2014; Kondo, 2009; Letizia, 2007; Murray, 2012; Proudlock, 2016; Shapiro, 2001; Solomon, 2000; Spector, 2009.)

The EMDR Research Foundation is pleased to announce the development of "The Marcia Murray Memorial Fund: Dedicated to Research in Suicide Prevention and Survivor Support." All monies donated to this fund will be earmarked for research that investigates EMDR therapy with individuals at high risk of suicide and those who have been impacted by the trauma of suicide loss or exposure to suicide attempts.

• How does EMDR therapy impact the grief trajectory for those who have experienced a loss by suicide?
• Does EMDR therapy reduce suicide ideation in those exposed to suicide attempts or loss by suicide?
• Does EMDR therapy reduce the risk of suicide in high risk populations - for example, military personnel, those suffering from PTSD, those with substance use issues, depressive disorders, and those who have experienced suicidal threats by other during childhood or loss by suicide in childhood?
• When is an individual with suicide ideation and/or past suicide attempts ready for the reprocessing phases of EMDR therapy? What interventions are effective in phase two preparation prior to reprocessing?
• How does EMDR therapy assist therapists and other health professionals in resolving the personal and professional impact resulting from a client's suicide?

This fund was initiated with a bequest from my dad, E.M. "Sandy" Murray, as a way to memorialize my oldest sister, Marcie, who died by suicide in 1979 when she was 27 years old. (I was 22 years old and in my first quarter of graduate school.) At the time of Marcie's death, there was a lack of effective psychotherapy approaches for those at high risk of suicide. Strategies for those left in the wake of suicide were also inadequate. Nearly 40 years later, with suicide rates at an all time high, more effective intervetnions are still needed. It was dad's wish that my sister's life and the tragedy of her death make a positive difference in the world by helping those at risk of suicide and those impacted by suicide.

I am so grateful to my dad for his generous bequest to the EMDR Research Foundation that has initiated this fund. I hope you will join me in donating to this fund to support EMDR therapy research in suicide prevention and survivor support, while supporting my family's desire to honor my sister's life.

Donate Now To The Marcia Murray Memorial Fund

^{To ensure that your donation is earmarked for suicide research, be sure to add "Marcia Murray Memorial Fund" or Suicide Research" in the donor notes section of the online form.}