The interaction between co-morbid substance use and psychosis: An exploratory study of service users' beliefs and attitudes.

Literature review. A systematic review of the literature on the interaction between substance use and psychosis was conducted focusing on the areas of: symptoms and course of illness; engagement with services; violence, suicide and criminal behaviour; and treatment approaches. Research report. A qualitative study was carried out to explore the beliefs and attitudes of clients regarding their use of illicit substance and/or alcohol and how they felt this interacted with their psychotic experiences. Eight participants were recruited for interview and Grounded Theory techniques of data collection and analysis were employed. A core category concerning participants' `Emotionally Charged Relationship with Substances' emerged from analysis that is suggested to have characteristics similar to interpersonal relationships. Constituent categories of Escaping; Limiting Factors; Making sense of psychosis and Substance Use; and Identity and Substance Use, were identified and explored. A theoretical model was constructed to represent how these constituent categories interplayed to determine the nature of participants' dynamic emotional relationship with substances. Implications for clinical practice with this client group and future research in this area are discussed. Critical appraisal. An in-depth account of the Principal Investigators reflections on the whole research experience. Aspects of personal and professional development arising from the process of planning, conducting and writing up the study are explored