Frequent detainees under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act: an exploration of the phenomenon of repeated detention and practitioner-developed innovations using realistic evaluation

I will investigate the psychosocial characteristics of people who have been repeatedly detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. First, I will conduct a systematic review, drawing on relevant bodies of literature relating to Section 136, values-based practice, frequent attendance at other frontline services, complex psychological and social needs and relevant policy and guidance documents. I will then investigate a range of interventions that have been developed to reduce repeated detentions by interviewing those involved in the development or delivery of the interventions, as well as service users and their carers. The focus of these interviews will be on the change achieved by these interventions and the context in which they operate.

The data will be reviewed in an interpretive workshop involving interviewees and other public engagement panel members and will lead to an overarching programme theory about the mechanisms and context in which reductions in repeat detentions are being achieved.