Integrating substance use and mental health services

People living with HIV have an increased prevalence and frequency of medical, psychiatric, and substance-use disorders that result in increased age-matched morbidity and mortality. 1 Altice FL Kamarulzaman A Soriano VV Schechter M Friedland GH Treatment of medical, psychiatric, and substance-use comorbidities in people infected with HIV who use drugs. Lancet. 2010; 376: 367-387 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (350) Google Scholar Alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use often co-occur with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. This constellation of alcohol, substance, and mood-related (CASM) conditions disproportionately affects people with HIV. 2 Bershteyn A Richard E Zhou Q et al. Potential health benefits of integrated screening strategies for alcohol, tobacco, other substance use, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain among people living with HIV in the USA. Lancet HIV. 2022; 10: e118-e125 Google Scholar Integration of HIV services with other health services has been proposed as an important strategy to boost the sustainability of the global HIV response and contribute to the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. 3 Bulstra CA Hontelez JAC Otto M et al. Integrating HIV services and other health services: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2021; 18e1003836 Crossref Scopus (8) Google Scholar In The Lancet HIV, Anna Bershteyn and colleagues 2 Bershteyn A Richard E Zhou Q et al. Potential health benefits of integrated screening strategies for alcohol, tobacco, other substance use, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain among people living with HIV in the USA. Lancet HIV. 2022; 10: e118-e125 Google Scholar showed that primary care providers of people with HIV in the USA should consider comprehensive diagnostic assessment of CASM if one or more conditions screen positive, a strategy that could increase life expectancy by nearly a year, exceeding life expectancy gains from benchmark preventative care recommendations. 2 Bershteyn A Richard E Zhou Q et al. Potential health benefits of integrated screening strategies for alcohol, tobacco, other substance use, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain among people living with HIV in the USA. Lancet HIV. 2022; 10: e118-e125 Google Scholar Potential health benefits of integrated screening strategies for alcohol, tobacco, other substance use, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain among people living with HIV in the USA: a mathematical modelling studyPrimary care providers for people with HIV should consider comprehensive diagnostic assessment of CASM conditions if one or more conditions screen positive. Full-Text PDF