Kimberly O’Brien

Kimberly H. McManama O’Brien, PhD, is a research scientist at EDC with joint appointments at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her work focuses on the development and testing of brief interventions for suicidal adolescents and their families, with an additional specialization on adolescents who misuse prescription drugs and other substances. Her research also involves training social workers and other health professionals in suicide- and substance-related knowledge and brief interventions.

O’Brien was recently funded by NIAAA to develop and test a brief alcohol intervention and mHealth booster for adolescents who have attempted suicide. She is also co-developing and testing a smartphone application intervention for adolescents at risk for suicide. O’Brien is a co-investigator on two other NIMH-funded studies: (1) examining factors that lead sexual minority youth to have higher rates of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors and (2) developing and testing a novel suite of simulated suicide risk assessment trainings.

O’Brien received her BA from Harvard University and her MSW and PhD from Boston College. She has also completed her postdoctoral training at Brown University’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies.

“The most effective interventions for suicidal adolescents are those that are affirming and validating, enhance positivity and reasons for living, and involve the family in a supportive and meaningful way.”