Mental health service users are at a higher risk of HIV, new research has found.
The study involved more than 181,000 adults who had used mental health services in South London between January 2007 and December 2018.
It revealed that HIV is 2.5 times as likely to affect those who have presented at mental health trusts than it is the general South London population.
These findings have highlighted an urgent need for improved integrated care between HIV and mental health services.
Of those diagnosed in the group (2.47%), the majority were men (75%) and 34 years of age on average. While everyone had been in contact with mental health services, 27% had no official mental health conditions.
Professor Liz Hughes, Professor of Nursing, Edinburgh Napier University, and an author of the paper said: “People with mental illness experience poorer physical health compared with those without mental illness.
“There [have] been some fantastic initiatives in NHS mental health services to reduce the health disparity. However, these have mainly focused on cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.”
“Our findings provide evidence for the first time in a UK setting, that people who use mental health services have elevated risk of HIV infection.
“It is vitally important that sexual health and blood borne viruses are addressed as part of the overall response to improving the physical wellbeing of people who experience mental health issues.”
Here at MCM Medical, we are avid supporters of better research into HIV and reducing health disparities that still exist within the UK. Keep an eye on our blog to stay in the know with the latest industry news.
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