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Consumer experience of formal crisis‐response services and preferred methods of crisis intervention
Author(s) -
Boscarato Kara,
Lee Stuart,
Kroschel Jon,
Hollander Yitzchak,
Brennan Alice,
Warren Narelle
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.911
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1447-0349
pISSN - 1445-8330
DOI - 10.1111/inm.12059
Subject(s) - crisis response , crisis intervention , psychological intervention , mental health , preference , psychology , intervention (counseling) , officer , mental illness , public relations , nursing , medicine , psychiatry , political science , law , economics , microeconomics
The manner in which people with mental illness are supported in a crisis is crucial to their recovery. The current study explored mental health consumers' experiences with formal crisis services (i.e. police and crisis assessment and treatment ( CAT ) teams), preferred crisis supports, and opinions of four collaborative interagency response models. Eleven consumers completed one‐on‐one, semistructured interviews. The results revealed that the perceived quality of previous formal crisis interventions varied greatly. Most participants preferred family members or friends to intervene. However, where a formal response was required, general practitioners and mental health case managers were preferred; no participant wanted a police response, and only one indicated a preference for CAT team assistance. Most participants welcomed collaborative crisis interventions. Of four collaborative interagency response models currently being trialled internationally, participants most strongly supported the R ide‐ A long M odel, which enables a police officer and a mental health clinician to jointly respond to distressed consumers in the community. The findings highlight the potential for an interagency response model to deliver a crisis response aligned with consumers' preferences.