In March 2011, Mthente was commissioned by the Medical Research Council (MRC) to assist in carrying out a study analysing the relationship between substance abuse, health behaviours, and the health status of patients currently being treated for Human Immune Deficiency (HIV) at clinics in Cape Town. Mthente used the following methodology in administering the survey in eight community clinics in and around the Cape Town Metropole:

• Administering an MRC-developed questionnaire in English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa to approximately 1 500 HIV positive patients (unidentified) suffering from substance abuse.
• Conducting interviews with this population sample in order to determine the health status of substance abusers, with a special focus on the mental health of substance abusing and non-substance abusing patients.
• Collecting and verifying completed survey questionnaires.
• Capturing the collected data using Epidata® and quality control to ensure accuracy.
• Developing a SPSS® dataset for analysis by the MRC.

The dataset will provide important input into a larger research project undertaken by the MRC that is centred on investigating the levels of substance abuse in HIV patients located in the Western Cape.