What are the barriers to non-medical residential crisis support being developed and utilised to support people experiencing psychosis?

This study sought to investigate the barriers to non-medical residential crisis support being developed and utilised for people experiencing psychosis. One to one interviews were carried out with professionals and commissioners involved in the planning, development and provision of services for this service user group. A grounded theory approach was utilised for the analysis of the data collected, which led to the generation of categories and subcategories to begin to develop a theoretical understanding that would answer the research questions of this study. Questions focused on the crisis support options available to people experiencing psychosis. The findings of this study suggest that service development is heavily influenced by socio-political factors, such as the agenda of social control and preferences for individual treatment, as well as the stigma and lack of hope that surrounds people experiencing psychosis. For more alternative services to be supported there is a need for collective movements to influence service provision on a broader level, so that such support could be more widely available within statutory services as well as non-statutory organisations