Comorbid Schizophrenia and Cannabis Use Disorder in South Africa: Perspectives of the Mental Health Care Users (MHCU’s) on Relapses

Abstract

on Relapses. Abstract Incidents of users with comorbid schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder experiencing a relapse; have been a cyclic phenomenon for decades in most health facilities admitting users with such diag-noses. Studies have shown that cannabis use and non-adherence to treatment contribute to a relapse for comorbid schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder. Purpose: To report on a study conducted to explore and describe the lived experiences of users with co-morbid schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder, who have experienced one or more relapse(s). Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological approach, which is ex- plorative, descriptive, contextual in nature was used. Data was collected using in-depth phenomenological interviews on purposively selected users with comorbid schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder that were a psychotic but had been admitted for a relapse at the time of data collection. Data was analysed using the series steps from Van Kaam’s phenomenological approach. Results: Three categories emerged from the findings of this study, namely: Effects of cannabis use that lead to a relapse, factors maintaining cannabis use and factors discouraging cannabis use. Fur-thermore, these categories were each sub-divided into themes and sub-themes. Conclusion: The findings of the study revealed that schizophrenia sufferers who used cannabis, experienced negative effects of cannabis use, leading to relapse(s). Those effects were of a psychological, physical and social nature. Furthermore, it was concluded that the interplay between factors that maintain cannabis use, and those that discourage cannabis use in the lived experiences of users determine whether a user will experience a relapse or not.