Sex-related alcohol expectancies predict sexual risk behavior among severely and persistently mentally ill adults.
Three hundred three adults (57% male, average age 42 years) with severe and persistent mental illness receiving treatment at community mental health clinics completed a survey, which included B. C. Leigh's (1990) sex-related alcohol expectancy scale and measures of alcohol use and sexual risk behavior. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses, controlling for drinking behavior, revealed that participants with stronger expectancies that drinking would lead to enhanced sexual experience were more likely to have drank prior to intercourse and that, among participants who drank prior to intercourse, those with stronger expectancies that alcohol would lead to riskier sexual behavior were more likely to have engaged in sexual risk behavior. Implications for preventing HIV infection among people with severe mental illness are discussed.
Weinhardt
Lance S
LS
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Center for AIDS Intervention Research, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53202, USA. lsw@mcw.edu
Otto-Salaj
Laura L
LL
Brondino
Michael J
MJ
Norberg
Melissa M
MM
Kalichman
Seth C
SC
D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D021841:Safe Sex; D014481:United States