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Understanding how people with mental health difficulties experience substance use

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Understanding how people with mental health difficulties experience substance use. / Chorlton, Emma; Smith, Ian.
In: Substance Use and Misuse, Vol. 51, No. 3, 2016, p. 318-329.

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Chorlton E, Smith I. Understanding how people with mental health difficulties experience substance use. Substance Use and Misuse. 2016;51(3):318-329. Epub 2016 Feb 19. doi: 10.3109/10826084.2015.1108341

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Chorlton, Emma ; Smith, Ian. / Understanding how people with mental health difficulties experience substance use. In: Substance Use and Misuse. 2016 ; Vol. 51, No. 3. pp. 318-329.

Bibtex

@article{a4038f25b32749d09d803df2c41fe39d,
title = "Understanding how people with mental health difficulties experience substance use",
abstract = "BackgroundQuantitative studies dominate research exploring reasons for substance use and experiences of substance use by people with mental health difficulties. This limits the depth of understanding which can be gained about these experiences.Objectives In the present article we synthesized current qualitative research in this area to provide enhanced theoretical knowledge of these experiences. MethodsFollowing a systematic literature search, we identified 12 studies which explored how people with mental health difficulties experienced using substances, and which met additional inclusion criterion. We used Noblit and Hare{\textquoteright}s metaethnographic approach to qualitatively synthesize these studies.ResultsSynthesis led to the development of two themes; {\textquoteleft}substance use mediates acceptance and social inclusion{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}substance use provides perceived opportunities for control and power{\textquoteright}. Conclusions/ImportanceThe findings suggest that in the studies reviewed people's motivation for substance use was embedded in social and psychological contexts. It indicated that substance use could provide perceived benefits such as mediating the impact of mental health stigma, enabling the development of alternative identities, increasing their sense of power and providing opportunities for social inclusion. Mental health and substance use workers should therefore aim to develop alternative opportunities for people with co-occurring disorders to gain such benefits, and seek to challenge mental health stigma.",
keywords = "Substance use, mental health, metaethnography, metasynthesis, service user experiences",
author = "Emma Chorlton and Ian Smith",
note = "This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Substance Use and Misuse on 19/02/2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/10826084.2015.1108341",
year = "2016",
doi = "10.3109/10826084.2015.1108341",
language = "English",
volume = "51",
pages = "318--329",
journal = "Substance Use and Misuse",
issn = "1082-6084",
publisher = "Informa Healthcare",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Understanding how people with mental health difficulties experience substance use

AU - Chorlton, Emma

AU - Smith, Ian

N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Substance Use and Misuse on 19/02/2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/10826084.2015.1108341

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - BackgroundQuantitative studies dominate research exploring reasons for substance use and experiences of substance use by people with mental health difficulties. This limits the depth of understanding which can be gained about these experiences.Objectives In the present article we synthesized current qualitative research in this area to provide enhanced theoretical knowledge of these experiences. MethodsFollowing a systematic literature search, we identified 12 studies which explored how people with mental health difficulties experienced using substances, and which met additional inclusion criterion. We used Noblit and Hare’s metaethnographic approach to qualitatively synthesize these studies.ResultsSynthesis led to the development of two themes; ‘substance use mediates acceptance and social inclusion’ and ‘substance use provides perceived opportunities for control and power’. Conclusions/ImportanceThe findings suggest that in the studies reviewed people's motivation for substance use was embedded in social and psychological contexts. It indicated that substance use could provide perceived benefits such as mediating the impact of mental health stigma, enabling the development of alternative identities, increasing their sense of power and providing opportunities for social inclusion. Mental health and substance use workers should therefore aim to develop alternative opportunities for people with co-occurring disorders to gain such benefits, and seek to challenge mental health stigma.

AB - BackgroundQuantitative studies dominate research exploring reasons for substance use and experiences of substance use by people with mental health difficulties. This limits the depth of understanding which can be gained about these experiences.Objectives In the present article we synthesized current qualitative research in this area to provide enhanced theoretical knowledge of these experiences. MethodsFollowing a systematic literature search, we identified 12 studies which explored how people with mental health difficulties experienced using substances, and which met additional inclusion criterion. We used Noblit and Hare’s metaethnographic approach to qualitatively synthesize these studies.ResultsSynthesis led to the development of two themes; ‘substance use mediates acceptance and social inclusion’ and ‘substance use provides perceived opportunities for control and power’. Conclusions/ImportanceThe findings suggest that in the studies reviewed people's motivation for substance use was embedded in social and psychological contexts. It indicated that substance use could provide perceived benefits such as mediating the impact of mental health stigma, enabling the development of alternative identities, increasing their sense of power and providing opportunities for social inclusion. Mental health and substance use workers should therefore aim to develop alternative opportunities for people with co-occurring disorders to gain such benefits, and seek to challenge mental health stigma.

KW - Substance use

KW - mental health

KW - metaethnography

KW - metasynthesis

KW - service user experiences

U2 - 10.3109/10826084.2015.1108341

DO - 10.3109/10826084.2015.1108341

M3 - Journal article

VL - 51

SP - 318

EP - 329

JO - Substance Use and Misuse

JF - Substance Use and Misuse

SN - 1082-6084

IS - 3

ER -