Responding to blood-borne infections among persons with severe mental illness.
The Five-Site Health and Risk Study estimated prevalence rates of blood-borne infections, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, and addressed risk factors and correlates of infection among persons with severe mental illness. In this final article of the special section in this issue of Psychiatric Services, the authors review public health recommendations and best practices and discuss the implications of these results for community mental health care of clients with severe mental illness. Standard public health recommendations could be modified for use by community mental health providers. In addition, expansion of integrated dual disorders treatments and improving linkage with specialty medical care providers are recommended.
Brunette
Mary F
MF
New Hampshire-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center and Dartmouth Medical School, 105 Pleasant Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301, USA. mary.brunette@dartmouth.edu
Drake
Robert E
RE
Marsh
Bryan J
BJ
Torrey
William C
WC
Rosenberg
Stanley D
SD
D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D015897:Comorbidity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D015438:Health Behavior; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D008403:Mass Screening; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology