Risk factors for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C among the chronic mentally ill

Objective: The objective of this study was to document the prevalence of ri sk factors for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C among people with chronic mental il lness treated in a community setting. Method: 234 patients attending four community mental health clinics in the North-western Health Care Network in Melbourne, Australia, completed an int erviewer-administered questionnaire which covered demographics, risk behavi our and psychiatric diagnosis. Results: The sample was 58% male, and 79% of the sample had a primary diagn osis of schizophrenia. Forty-three per cent of mentally ill men and 51% of mentally ill women in the survey had been sexually active in the 12 months preceding the survey. One-fifth of mentally ill men and 57% of mentally ill women who had sex with casual partners never used condoms. People with men tal illness were eight times more likely than the general population to hav e ever injected illicit drugs and the mentally ill had a lifetime prevalenc e of sharing needles of 7.4%. Conclusions: The prevalence of risk behaviours among the study group indica te that people with chronic mental illness should be regarded as a high-ris k group for HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. It is essential that adequate resourc es and strategies are targeted to the mentally ill as they are for other hi gh-risk groups.