Derek de Beurs

Background

About Derek de Beurs

Derek de Beurs is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. For over 15 years, he has studied suicidal behavior, beginning with a PhD focused on training professionals in suicide prevention. His career spans academia and policy, having worked not only at universities but also for the Dutch Ministry of Education and national research institutes Nivel and Trimbos. His research primarily explores the complexity of suicidal behavior using network analysis, a field in which he was awarded an individual grant in 2017. In 2024, he secured funding from the Centre for Urban Mental Health, the University of Amsterdam’s largest interdisciplinary Research Priority Area, to apply computational modeling to further investigate suicidal behavior. Derek has authored around 100 peer-reviewed papers and written a popular science book (in Dutch) on suicide prevention, Myths About Suicide. He also co-edited the Dutch-Flemish handbook on suicidal behavior. Together with his father, a psychiatrist, he co-authored a book sharing insights from clinical practice, now in its third print. The related podcast has reached over listeners. He is an active voice in the field, delivering talks at both scientific and public forums nationally and internationally. He also contributes to clinical practice as a member of the writing group updating the Dutch clinical guideline for suicidal behavior. Within the University of Amsterdam, he serves as an ambassador for the Psychology in Everyday Life minor and is involved in teaching and coordinating various courses. For more information, visit