Abstract
Background
National policy frameworks, including the UK Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy (2023–2028), emphasise person-centred, relational approaches that prioritise therapeutic engagement, collaborative safety planning and a flexible understanding of psychosocial risk. Peer support and lived experience initiatives are increasingly recognised as vital components of suicide prevention and recovery support. Community-based suicide crisis (CBSC) support, which emphasises rapid access, person-centred care and lived experience integration, was established to provide immediate support without clinical criteria, barriers to access or waiting lists.
Aims
To examine outcomes of a CBSC intervention supporting individuals in suicidal crisis, with particular attention to differences in outcomes across National Health Service (NHS) and non-NHS/self-referral pathways.
Method
A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was adopted to provide a comprehensive assessment of service impact and client outcomes among individuals (
n
= 9801) referred through the NHS (
n
= 2929, 30%) or non-NHS/self-referrals (
n
= 6872, 70%) between 2019 and 2025.
Results
A subanalysis of 1387 (14%) client interventions showed significant improvements across all mental health recovery domains (
p
Conclusions
CBSC services would benefit from the expansion of NHS partnerships to extend regional reach, standardised monitoring and follow-up, and the strategic use of outcome data to strengthen advocacy and secure sustainable funding. Embedding this community-based model firmly within wider health systems has the potential to enhance its impact, ensure equitable access and inform broader systemic developments in suicide prevention.