PREVALENCE OF INFECTION WITH HIV AMONG THE SERIOUSLY MENTALLY-ILL - REVIEW OF RESEARCH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The authors review the research literature for estimates of the prevalence of HIV infection among the seriously mentally ill. Data from nine studies suggest that 4%-23% of the seriously mentally ill have been infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Men have been infected at a higher rate than have women, but this gender difference is less pronounced than that found in the general population. Because most of these blinded seroprevalence studies have been conducted in New York City, the representativeness of these results remains unknown. Nonetheless, the findings call attention to the need for enhanced HIV-related services for the seriously mentally ill. The authors provide screening and counseling guidelines for practitioners who work with seriously mentally ill clients.