In “the largest assessment of substance use among individuals with severe psychotic illness to date,” researchers from Washington University and the University of Southern California found that the odds of substance use among those with severe psychosis diagnoses is dramatically higher than that of people with less severe diagnoses. Though the study only establishes a correlation between psychosis and substance use, the lead researcher comments that “the most likely explanation is that substance use contributes to the development of severe mental illness.”
Hartz, S., Pato, C., Madeiros, H., Cavazos-Rehg, P., et al.; Comorbidity of Severe Psychotic Disorders With Measures of Substance Use. JAMA Psychiatry. Online January 1, 2014. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.3726
Of Further Interest:
Severe Mental Illness Tied to Substance Use: Which Comes First? (Decoded Science)
Substance Use ‘Dramatically’ High in Severe Psychosis (MedWire News)
Severe Mental Illness Ups Risk for Mental Illness (PsychCentral)
Severe Mental Illness Tied to Higher Rates of Substance Use (HealthCanal)