Publications in the field of extremism and mental health are growing in volume but remain limited in empirical integrity and rigour. Where quality research is conducted by academics, their lack of access to front-line practitioners limits the extent to which clinical/operational practice can inform research questions and the translation of research findings. This limits the ecological validity of research in a field that has significant practical ramifications. Furthermore, most research in this field takes place in silos (within small teams, within different disciplines, and in different countries), resulting in a large amount of research outputs duplicating prevalence figures, and few attempts to collaborate to produce research with practical utility across contexts.
Given the recognised relevance of mental health in sub-groups of extremists across different parts of the Five-Eyes and Europe, the ethical, clinical and operational complexity of this subject matter and its ramifications for public safety, this area warrants rigorous interdisciplinary international research and nuanced translation of its findings in ways that have practice utility.
Therefore, the Extremism and Mental Health CoI will bring together international researchers and practitioners engaged in this area of research. It will act as a centre-point for collaboration, supporting research integrity, and strengthening the cohesion between research and practice.
The Extremism and Mental Health CoI is led by Professor Zainab Al-Attar (Cardiff Metropolitan University) and Dr Emily Corner (Associate Professor at Australian National University).
How to join
We welcome researchers and practitioners with specialist expertise in Terrorism and Mental Health research and practice to join our Community of Interest.
By signing up, you’ll become part of the wider network and receive regular updates, resources, and opportunities to get involved.
Some activities, such as workshops and meetings, are invite-only and kept to smaller groups to support focused, constructive discussions, bringing together a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives.
If you're interested in joining this CoI, please click the button below.