Psychological and
Socioenvironmental Factors
Psychological and socioenvironmental
factors also appear to contribute to the
co-occurrence of schizophrenia and AUD.
People with schizophrenia and AUD
often report that they use alcohol and
other drugs to alleviate the general dysphoria
of mental illness, poverty, limited
opportunities, and boredom; they
also report that substance use facilitates
the development of an identity and a
social network (Dixon et al. 1990).
An entire generation of adults with
schizophrenia in the United States has
grown up during the era of deinstitutionalization
(Lamb and Bachrach
2001). Although residing predominantly
in the community rather than in hospitals,
these people still have had limited
vocational, recreational, and social
opportunities (caused by factors such
as illness, stigma, and segregation).
Further, they have experienced downward
social drift into poor urban living
settings, where they are regularly exposed
to substance abuse and substanceabusing
social networks (Lamb and
Bachrach 2001).