Internal and external environment of individuals with schizophrenia during alcohol and drug use

Explanations for the high prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse in schizophrenia purport that substance use is related to social-affiliative needs or to symptom regulation. Neither explanation was adequate in describing substance-use episodes in the present longitudinal study. The study involved repeated interviews of 10 individuals with schizophrenia about their internal and external environment during substance use. Qualitative analyses of interview responses showed variability in multiple versus single episodes in a day and categories labeled Activities Prior to Use and Social Context of Use. Individual subjectʹs responses each had a unique pattern that characterized their substance-use episodes.