Emma Rebecca Wallace

• PhD in Psychology, Ulster University
• MSc in Health Psychology, Ulster University
• BSc (Hons) in Psychology, The Open University

Originally from Wicklow in the Republic of Ireland, Emma came to the UK to pursue her undergraduate and postgraduate studies. In 2022, Emma was awarded an International Association of Suicide Prevention (IASP) scholarship to complete her doctoral research titled, ‘Queering suicide prevention: a mixed methods study exploring the mental health needs, suicidality, and lived experiences of LGBTQA+ young adults in Northern Ireland’.

Throughout her doctoral research, Emma served as a committee member for the ‘Protect life 2 suicide prevention strategy’ All-Party Group at Stormont, in Northern Ireland. Emma also serves as a board trustee for ‘The Rainbow Project’, Northern Ireland’s leading LGBTQIA+ health and wellbeing charity. Prior to her academic career, she worked in health and social care residential settings, supporting young people and adults, for over a decade.

Emma has taught on several undergraduate and postgraduate modules within the School of Psychology at Ulster University and has been a returning guest lecturer at Queens University where she taught classes on sexuality and gender norms within the field of suicide research.

Research interests

• Mental health
• Suicide prevention
• LGBTQA+ and care-experienced young people
• Health inequalities
• Inclusive healthcare policies and education
• Help-seeking and access to care
• Adverse childhood experiences
• Participatory research methods

Current projects

Research Fellow: Understanding care experienced young people’s mental health help-seeking behaviours (2025 – ongoing)

Funded by the NIHR Research Programme for Social Care, this mixed-methods study explores how care-experienced young people aged 13–25 in England seek support for their mental health. The research also considers how overlapping identities—such as being LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, disabled, or from ethnically minoritised backgrounds—shape their experiences of help-seeking. Co-produced with care-experienced young people and professionals, the project aims to inform more inclusive mental health services, support pathways, and policy development.

Find out more about the research