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. 2011 Mar 1;39(2):231-239.
doi: 10.1002/jcop.20422. Epub 2011 Feb 2.

SCREENING FOR AND PREVALENCE OF HIV AND HEPATITIS C AMONG AN OUTPATIENT URBAN SAMPLE OF PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Seth Himelhoch  1 , Richard Goldberg, Christine Calmes, Deborah Medoff, Eric Slade, Lisa Dixon, Gerard Gallucci, Stanley Rosenberg
Affiliations

SCREENING FOR AND PREVALENCE OF HIV AND HEPATITIS C AMONG AN OUTPATIENT URBAN SAMPLE OF PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND CO-OCCURRING SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Seth Himelhoch et al. J Community Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: To assess rates of screening and testing of HIV and HCV among those with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders.

Methods: One hundred fifty-three people with serious mental illness and cooccurring substance use disorders completed measures and were screened for HIV and HCV.

Results: Six percent were HIV positive and 25% were HCV positive. Almost a quarter reported a history of injection drug use and 86% reported a history of unprotected sexual encounters. Compared to those without a diagnosis of Hepatitis C, those diagnosed with Hepatitis C were significantly more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection, (p = 0.01), have a lifetime history of injection drug use, (p < 0.001), and a lifetime history of sniffing drugs, (p = 0.01).

Conclusions: Given the high levels of infection of HIV and HCV and high levels of transmission risk factors efforts to improve screening and provide risk reduction counseling are warranted.

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