Caring for individuals with psychosis and substance misuse
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Carers' Experiences of Supporting Individuals with Psychosis and Substance Use Difficulties
IRAS ID
361181
Contact name
Ben Cameron
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 6 days
Research summary
Psychosis is a mental health problem in which people may hear voices or see things that others cannot. They may also think other people are watching them or often feel like they are in danger. Patients with psychosis need lots of support from people in their lives. These are often parents, spouses or siblings. Carers form a big part of patients’ support but might not get the help they need from mental health services. They might not be included in decisions about their loved ones or given the information they need to help.
Patients with psychosis often use drugs or alcohol to cope with what they are going through. This causes extra problems for the carers in their lives. There might be money issues or more risk of violence.
Services often use questionnaires to find out what carers are struggling with. Whilst there are several of these in use to find out how carers are impacted by their loved one’s psychosis, few ask what carers want or need from services. No current questionnaires think about substance use by these patients and the extra challenge that brings.
This study will explore the experiences and needs of carers of patients with both psychosis and substance use. We will speak to these carers to find out what they need from services to help support their loved one. This will help us understand how to support these carers in the future.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/NW/0100
Date of REC Opinion
17 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion