'I would have killed myself had it not been for this service': qualitative experiences of NHS and third sector crisis care in the UK

Sambrook, L ORCID: 0000-0002-4798-9536, Balmer, A, Tait, J, Ashley-Mudie, P, Mcintyre, JC ORCID: 0000-0002-5601-524X, Shetty, A, Nathan, R ORCID: 0000-0003-2780-6170 and Saini, P ORCID: 0000-0002-4981-7914 (2025) 'I would have killed myself had it not been for this service': qualitative experiences of NHS and third sector crisis care in the UK. Bjpsych Open, 11 (3). ISSN 2056-4724

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Abstract

Background More people than ever are receiving support for mental health crises, and instances of suicide continue to grow. Mental health funding has recently increased, focusing on improving services that provide an alternative to emergency departments, such as urgent helplines and crisis cafés. However, there is a lack of literature examining the efficacy of these services, despite research suggesting they may be associated with lower hospital admission rates. Aims We aimed to evaluate the perspectives of people with lived experience of accessing a variety of mental health crisis services in the UK. Method One-to-one interviews were conducted with 25 individuals as part of a qualitative grounded theory analysis. Results The following themes were identified as important for recovery: more than a diagnosis (a need for person-centred care); instilling hope for the future (access to creative spaces and community); and a safe space for recovery (out-of-hours crisis cafés). Many have credited crisis cafés with saving their lives and felt there should be increased funding provided for collaboration between the National Health Service (NHS) and the third sector. Participants highlighted the need for interim support for those awaiting therapy via the NHS and continuity of care as key areas for improvement. Conclusions NHS services are struggling to meet the mental health needs of the population, resulting in lengthy waiting times for therapy and an over-reliance on the third sector. While crisis cafés are currently provided at a low cost and appear to result in satisfaction, policymakers must ensure they receive adequate funding and do not become overburdened.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	4203 Health Services and Systems; 4205 Nursing; 42 Health Sciences; Health Services; Clinical Research; Mental Health; 8.1 Organisation and delivery of services; 7.1 Individual care needs; Mental health; Generic health relevance; 3 Good Health and Well Being; 1103 Clinical Sciences; 1117 Public Health and Health Services; 3202 Clinical sciences; 4203 Health services and systems
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Psychology (from Sep 2019)
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Date of acceptance:	9 February 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	25 July 2025
Date Deposited:	25 Jul 2025 10:53
Last Modified:	25 Jul 2025 11:00
DOI or ID number:	10.1192/bjo.2025.30
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26831

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