Postdoctoral Fellow
Mr Bernard Leckning
BSc (Computing Science) Hons (UTS)
BA Hons (UNSW)
PhD Public Health and Epidemiology (current) (Menzies School of Health Research)
Medicine & Health
The Black Dog Institute
I am interested in advancing the epidemiological and clinical understanding of suicidal behaviours and how this can inform prevention. I am currently working within the Crisis and Aftercare stream of the Centre for Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention-II (CRESP-II) to develop a program of work focused on improving suicide safety planning in Australia.
I have a special interest and considerable experience in using linked data to better understand opportunities for prevention across the lifecourse and to evaluate large-scale interventions, especially targeting particularly vulnerable groups of children and young people and First Nations peoples.
I have previously undertaken suicide prevention research in a range of clinical and community-based settings, including hospitals, ambulatory mental health care, primary health care, schools, and youth centres across urban and remote regions of the Northern Territory of Australia.
I continue to be involved in the Child and Youth Development Research Partnership (CYDRP) between the Menzies School of Health Research and NT government agencies to develop research using a large-scale repository of linked administrative data that investigates health, social, educational, and welfare outcomes for children and young people in the NT. My research focus in the partnership is primarily on behavioural and mental health outcomes, especially self-harm and suicide.
Academic Appointments
2022 – current Honorary Fellow Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia
Previous work
2013 - 2022 Research Officer, Data Linkage and Suicide Prevention Research Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia 2011 - 2012 Research Associate, Suicide Prevention Research Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Australia
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
2020 - 2024: MRFF Million Minds Mission Suicide Prevention Grants. The Buoy Project: Preventing suicide in boys and men. CIs: Pirkis, Patton, Oliffe, Reavley, Mihalopoulous, Lamontagne, Rice, Seidler, King, Vella. AI: Leckning. $5,623,082 2018 - 2019: Centre for Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention. BestPrAxIS study: Developing best practice guidelines for psychosocial assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presenting to hospital with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. CIs: Leckning, Robinson, Hirvonen, Carey, Armstrong. $150,000 2018 - 2021: Suicide Prevention Australia Research Scholarship. The epidemiology of hospital-treated self-harm and suicidal ideation: Identifying opportunities for prevention. CI: Leckning. $105,000 2018 - 2019: Murdoch Children's Research Institute Theme Funding. Understanding the links between self-harm, substance use, and poor mental health in children and adolescents admitted to hospital in the Northern Territory. CIs: Borschmann, Kinner, Carey, Leckning, Robinson. $20,000 2016 - 2019: NHMRC Target Call for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention. Evaluating a classroom-based life skills program for remote Aboriginal middle school students (Skills for Life). CIs: Robinson, Silburn, Nagel, Midford. PSP: Leckning. $1,700,000 2014 - 2015: Commonwealth Government Taking Action to Tackle Suicide. Developing life skills programs for remote Aboriginal adolescents. CIs: Robinson, Silburn, Nagel, Senior, Leckning. $500,000 2013 - 2016: Beyondblue. Understanding suicide following hospitalisation for self-harm by Aboriginal people. CIs: Robinson, Silburn, Nagel, Parker, Guthridge, Li, Leckning. $290,000 2013 - 2016: NT Department of Health. Outcomes following hospitalisation for self-harm and suicidal ideation. CIs: Robinson, Silburn, Nagel, Parker, Guthridge, Li, Leckning. $50,000 2012 - 2013: Commonwealth Department of Health. Consultations to develop the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy. CIs: Robinson, D’Antoine, Silburn, Leckning. $500,000 2011: NT Children's Commissioner. Audit of coronial files for child and youth suicides, 2000-2005. CIs: Robinson, Silburn, Leckning. $50,000
2020: Society for Mental Health Research Award for Best Applied Science Paper (PhD category)
• Australian experiences of suicide safety planning: A survey study to inform improvement and innovation in implementation. CIs: Leckning, Shand, Procter, Ferguson, McGill. • A systems approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention. Led by Prof Pat Dudgeon, UWA in partnership with Black Dog Institute. • Systematic review and meta-analysis of psychiatric assessment and aftercare following hospital-treated deliberate self-harm. CIs: Carter, Witt, McGill, Leckning, Hill • Evaluating implementation and outcomes of Towards Zero Suicide Initiative in the Sydney Local Health District. CIs: Page, Sperandei, Munasinghe, Leckning • Mental health-related hospital admissions in the Northern Territory associated with child protection and youth justice involvement in adolescents: a data linkage study. CIs: Leckning, Guthridge, Condon, He • Patterns of adverse outcomes in Northern Territory adolescents: A latent variable approach using linked administrative data. CIs: Guthridge, He, Condon, Leckning • Characteristics and outcomes of hospital-treated self-harm and suicidal ideation: A retrospective cohort data linkage project. CI: Leckning • StreamlinED - Patient navigation for NT adolescents: Understanding patterns and improving care of children and young people in ED (data linkage component only). CIs: Buckley, Leckning, Toombs, He, Guthridge