This is an excellent resource for mental health professionals looking for a complete and well-edited book addressing this rarely-discussed phenomenon. Divided into three main sections, each chapter is written by a different author. Some authors seem to know their stuff more than others, and naturally the writing quality varies a bit from chapter to chapter because of the different authors. But in general, each chapter is well-written and covers the topic in-depth. The first part of the book (five chapters) discusses the HIV epidemic among individuals who suffer from a serious mental illness, including the medical, psychiatric and neuropsychiatric manifestations of the illness and behaviors of these individuals. Part two considers interventions and assessment strategies, discussing cognitive-behavioral approaches, a drop-in model of helping to reduce risk, chapters on how best to work with individuals who suffer from these problems, and ends with a chapter on different kinds of training programs for staff.

The last part, the smallest of the three, consists of two chapters on AIDS and mental health policy and gives an overview of legal issues in working with these patients. The nine appendices outline the HIV case definition, the epidemiology of AIDS, universal precautions, tuberculosis, the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV, and various HIV tests. Some of these appendices are taken from the CDC Guidelines or are summaries of the guidelines. Overall, the book is an invaluable and readable resources guide for mental health professionals who work with HIV-positive individuals. If your caseload consists of even a handful of people with HIV, you should buy this book.

Categories: General