Background to the study

• Many people who once would have lived in a psychiatric hospital now live in the community
• Little is known about the nature of the social environment which has, for many people, replaced the fixed structures of a ‘closed’ psychiatric hospital
• Previous research shows that many such people experience difficulties, e.g. poverty and social exclusion

• To provide a better understanding of the everyday lives of people with serious mental illness (SMI) who live in the community

• Three-year study, commencing May 2003
• Fieldwork to be done over 18 months (in 2 x 9-month phases)
• Findings will be disseminated widely

This Study is funded by