Other Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Implementation Of Mental And Substance Misuse Screenings Into Routine Prep Therapy Encounters, Kieran Talkiewicz

Capstone Showcase

It has been well documented over the years that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/ questioning (LGBTQ+) populations are disproportionately affected by a higher burden of mental health illnesses, alcohol abuse, and illicit substance abuse when compared to heterosexual populations. This article will recommend utilizing routine Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) therapy encounters, a common point of contact for primary care for sexual minority populations, to perform screening for mental health and substance use. Due to men who have sex with men (MSM) being the highest utilizing population of this therapy, and disproportionately burdened by psychiatric and substance use disorders, this article will …