Rights statement: 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
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Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Accepted author manuscript, 34.5 KB, Word document
Accepted author manuscript, 28 KB, Word document
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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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 -