Mental Health Screening Practices Among Primary Care Providers in High HIV Burden Areas of the South: Does Having Patients with HIV Matter?

Mental health (MH) disorders are associated with HIV-related risk and health outcomes. Primary care providers (PCPs) conducting MH screenings can link persons living with HIV (PWH) to appropriate services, particularly in HIV burden areas of Southeastern States (the South). Little data exist on PCPs' MH screening practices. Depression, MH history, and substance use screenings among PCPs were examined in the South. Rao-Scott chi-square (χ2[df]) statistics (p ≤ 0.05) analyzed MH screening between PCPs with and without PWH patients. Compared with PCPs without PWH patients, PCPs with PWH patients routinely screened for substance use more frequently (50.6% vs. 43.2%; χ2[1] = 20.3; p < 0.0001). Compared with PCPs without PWH patients, PCPs with PWH patients routinely screened for depression less frequently (36.2% vs. 50.9%; χ2[1] = 32.0; p < 0.0001). Providers increasing MH screenings will improve HIV-related outcomes in the South.