TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - What is a crisis? Perspectives of crisis support help-seekers
JO  - Crisis
A1  - O'Riordan, Megan
A1  - Rickwood, Debra
A1  - Curll, Sonia
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Understanding what types of crises help-seekers view as relevant for contacting crisis support services is needed to inform crisis service provision and training. Aims: This study aimed to explore help-seeker perceptions of what comprises a crisis, describing the main themes and examining how these relate to reasons for contact reported in previous research. This study further aimed to compare perceptions of what comprises a crisis between suicide-related and nonsuicide-related help-seekers. <br><br>METHOD: As part of a larger online survey, Lifeline help-seekers (n = 375) responded to an open-ended question about their perceptions of personal crisis. <br><br>RESULTS: Thematic analysis identified 15 crisis themes. The most endorsed by all participants were family and relationship issues, mental health issues, and assault/trauma. Suicide-related help-seekers were more likely to identify suicidality as a crisis, whereas nonsuicide-related help-seekers were more likely to identify general life stress as a crisis. Limitations: The self-selected convenience sample limits generalizability. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Help-seekers perceive crisis as a complex concept comprising many themes, with some similarities and differences between suicide-related and nonsuicide-related help-seekers. The findings may inform crisis helplines in promoting and tailoring their services to better meet user needs.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0227-5910
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000910
ID  - ref1
ER  -