Abstract
Despite a high prevalence of HIV in patients with serious mental health disorders, there is little information in the literature regarding details of their HIV treatment. The objective of this paper is to assess factors associated with the success of HIV therapy in people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disease. The methods used are retrospective, post-study chart review, and clinician questionnaire at two HIV county clinics. Forty-nine (4.8%) study patients were identified, 51% of whom achieved an undetectable HIV viral load. These patients tended to have less drug use (42% vs. 68%), more ongoing psychiatric visits (70% vs. 58%) and were more apt to take psychiatric medicines (70% vs. 40%) than patients with detectable HIV viral loads. Both groups had many missed appointments. We were surprised to find that many patients were successful with HIV treatment despite substance abuse, uncontrolled psychiatric symptoms, and lack of psychiatric care. Missing clinic appointments had little influence on treatment outcome.
References
Carey, M., Carey, K., Maisto, S., Schroder, K., Vanable, P., & Gordon, C. (2004). HIV risk behavior among psychiatric outpatients: association with psychiatric disorder, substance use disorder, and gender. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 192(4), 289–296.
Cournos, F., McKinnon, K., & Sullivan, G. (2005). Schizophrenia and comorbid human immunodeficiency virus or hepatitis C virus. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 66(suppl 6), 27–33.
Forney, J., Lombardo, S., & Toro, P. (2007). Diagnostic and other correlates of HIV risk behaviors in a probability of sample of homeless adults. Psychiatric Services, 58(1), 92–99.
Goldberg, R. (2004). Hepatitis and HIV screening, education, and treatment for adults with serious mental illness (Letter). General Hospital Psychiatry, 26, 167–168.
Grassi, L., Pavanati, M., Cardelli, R., Ferri, S., & Peron, L. (1999). HIV-risk behaviour and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among patients with schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine, 29(1), 171–179.
Gray, R., Brewin, E., Noak, J., Wyke-Joseph, J., & Sonik, B. (2002). A review of the literature on HIV infection and schizophrenia: implications for research, policy and clinical practice. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 9(4), 405–409.
Koen, L., Uys, S., Niehaus, D., & Emsley, R. (2007). Negative symptoms and HIV/AIDS risk-behavior knowledge in schizophrenia. Psychosomatics, 48(2), 128–134.
Miller, L., & Finnerty, M. (1996). Sexuality, pregnancy, and childrearing among women with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Psychiatric Services, 47(5), 502–506.
Otto-Salaj, L., & Stevenson, L. (2001). Influence of psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms on HIV risk behavior in adults with serious mental illness. AIDS Reader, 11(4), 197–208.
Sewell, D. (1996). Schizophrenia and HIV. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 22(3), 465–473.
Walkup, J., McAlpine, D., Olfson, M., Boyer, C., & Hansell, S. (2000). Recent HIV testing among general hospital inpatients with schizophrenia: findings from four New York City sites. Psychiatric Quarterly, 71(2), 177–193.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Murphy, K., Edelstein, H., Smith, L. et al. Treatment of HIV in Outpatients with Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder and Bipolar Disease at Two County Clinics. Community Ment Health J 47, 668–671 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9399-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-011-9399-4