title: Understanding associations between serious mental illness and hepatitis C virus among veterans: a national multivariate analysis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Himelhoch
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Dara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ganoczy
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Medoff
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kilbourne
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dixon
authors.forename: Frederic C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Blow
mesh_terms: 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*