HIV More Prevalent in Mental Health Patients, Study Shows

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers from Penn Medicine and other institutions found that people receiving mental health care are up to four times more likely to be infected with HIV than the general population. The study is one of the largest to date to estimate HIV prevalence in mental health settings. During the study, researchers provided HIV testing to 1,061 individuals seeking treatment for depression, psychosis, and substance abuse in establishments such as university-based inpatient psychiatry units, intensive-care management programs, and community mental health centers from January 2009 to August 2011. The data showed that 4.8 percent of the patients receiving care were infected with HIV, which is about 16 times the base rate for the U.S. population. The results of the study suggest the need for more research into integrated treatments for people with co-occurring conditions such as HIV and mental illness. To read more about this study, click here.