Adolescents with psychiatric disorders and the risk of HIV.
OBJECTIVE
To review literature relevant to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated risk behaviors among adolescents with psychiatric disorders and psychological influences on risk behaviors.


METHODS
This report is based on review of 66 articles, which comprise all of the relevant literature in the English language.


RESULTS
Although the seroprevalence of HIV in adolescents with psychiatric disorders is unknown, studies indicate that adolescents with psychiatric disorders are at greater risk than their peers because of increased rates of unsafe sexual practices, impulsivity, self-destructive attitudes, cognitive immaturity, high rates of substance use, self-cutting behavior, and the sequelae of sexual abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
Directions are proposed for the design of developmentally appropriate, clinically oriented HIV prevention interventions based on the relationships between psychological dysfunction, social stressors, and HIV risk behaviors.
Brown
L K
LK
Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence 02903, USA.
Danovsky
M B
MB
Lourie
K J
KJ
DiClemente
R J
RJ
Ponton
L E
LE
D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology