Understanding associations between serious mental illness and hepatitis C virus among veterans: a national multivariate analysis.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis in the United States and is known to be transmitted via pathways associated with substance use (e.g., injection drug use and intranasal drug use).


OBJECTIVE
Although individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) have a high prevalence of HCV, the nature of this relationship is unclear and is the subject of this investigation.


METHODS
The authors determined unadjusted and adjusted recorded prevalence of HCV among a national sample of veterans with and without SMI.


RESULTS
HCV was recorded in 8.1% of patients with bipolar disorder, 7.1% of patients with schizophrenia, and 2.5% of patients without SMI. Substance use increased HCV risk among SMI patients; patients with bipolar disorder had greater risk than patients with schizophrenia.


CONCLUSIONS
Efforts to address HCV among patients with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse are warranted.
Himelhoch
Seth
S
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Services Research, 773 W. Lombard St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. shimelho@psych.umaryland.edu
McCarthy
John F
JF
Ganoczy
Dara
D
Medoff
Deborah
D
Kilbourne
Amy
A
Goldberg
Richard
R
Dixon
Lisa
L
Blow
Frederic C
FC
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*