Table 3.

Overview of topic areas and themes.

Topic Area	Theme	Definition
Evidence of shared identity: This topic area refers to the extent to which there was evidence of a shared identity in the multi-agency groups, and the nature of that identity (RQ1)	Superordinate identity: PMART as an identity	Responders identifying as part of PMART, rather than their individual organization
	Superordinate identity: ‘blue-light services’	Responders identifying as part of the blue-light services, rather than their individual organization
Factors impacting multi-agency working: the mechanisms or pathways that appeared to facilitate or challenge multi-agency working (RQ2), and whether responders shared identity was bound up with of these factors (RQ3)	Facilitators: Shared experience	The impact that the difficult nature of the response had on multi-agency working
	Facilitators: Duration of contact	The impact that the length responders were on the same team and had contact with each other, and the impact that contact with each other had on multi-agency working.
	Challenges: Shared location	Organizational differences between the Police and FRS responders that created challenges through being physically based together
	Challenges: Different sub-group norms	Differences in culture between the Police and FRS responders that were highlighted through being physically based together
	Challenges: Differing appetites for risk	When responders did not share a risk assessment and instead relied on their own judgements of risk to assess a situation.
	Challenges: Overcoming negative preconceptions	Pre-set opinions of responders from the other organization before entering PMART.