Mental Health

The Support Academic Futures & Educators for Today’s Youth (SAFETY) Act prohibits school boards from requiring the forced outing of LGBTQA+ youth in school settings. Critical protections includes newly passed SAFETY Act and others established rights under U.S. and California law.

There were 4,444 HIV diagnosis in California in 2021. Of those, 12% were among women. Black/African American and Latinx are disproportionately impacted.

This is a study of mental health experiences and harm perceptions of cigarettes among current menthol cigarette smokers, stratified by gender. This highlights racial/ethnic and gender disparities among menthol cigarette smokers.

Systematic Review of peer-reviewed quantitative studies and conference abstracts addressing PrEP screening, prescribing, and/or linkage to PrEP care in US Emergency Departments. Further research into the best practices for integrating ED PrEP eligibility screening, prescribing, and linkage to care – ideally in the form of prospective comparative trials – are needed. Such research may lead […]

Black women with HIV experience mental health outcomes at higher rates than women without HIV. In commemoration of Bebe Moore Campbell National Mental Health (BIPOC) Awareness Month, this infographic overview statistics that highlight mental health disparities among Black women in California.

The prevalence of mental health conditions among people living with HIV (PLWH) is high (23% among Medicare and 28% among Medicaid enrollees).  Based on data from Medicare and Medicaid insurance claims from 2010, PLWH with mental health conditions had significantly higher treatment costs for both mental health and non-mental health conditions.  These data support further […]

This qualitative study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and access to mental health services from the perspectives of patients living with HIV and providers in California. In a brief report, we outline both the challenges and resiliencies that were shared by study informants and propose recommendations to improve access to […]

In the first of a two-part series, we explore the impact of the opioid epidemic on HIV and other health conditions in California and Nevada. This brief outlines the intersections between the HIV and opioid epidemics in two heavily impacted western states: California and Nevada. The opioid crisis, which is driven largely by the misuse […]

More people living with HIV (PLWH) now have their medical care covered by Medi-Cal thanks to the program’s expansion. Although the change is welcomed, it also has created challenges for those who need mental health or substance use services. In research recently published in Health Affairs, the Northern California HIV Policy Research Center found that […]