Alcohol Use and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Adolescents With Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ABSTRACT

Adolescents with psychiatric disorders appear to be at increased risk for acquiring HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; however, little is known about the prevalence of behavioral risk factors in this population. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the prevalence of alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Electronic database searches identified studies sampling adolescents diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and assessing both alcohol and sexual risk behaviors. Fourteen studies sampling 3,029 adolescents with psychiatric disorders were included. The majority of adolescents with psychiatric disorders report alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors. Risk reduction interventions targeting these two behaviors are needed.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescents
• alcohol
• meta-analysis
• psychiatric disorders
• sexual behaviors

Acknowledgments

We thank Erika Sevetson, MS, health sciences librarian at the Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, for assisting with the database searches, and the following study authors who provided additional data: Bridgette M. Brawner, PhD, APRN; Larry K. Brown, MD; Briana A. Woods-Jaeger, PhD; Linda A. Teplin, PhD.

Funding

Research reported in this article was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01AA021355 to Lori A. J. Scott-Sheldon, PhD. Karlene Cunningham, PhD, and David A. Martinez, PhD, were supported by the Child/Adolescent Biobehavioral HIV Research Training Grant (T32 MH078788) from the National Institute of Mental Health. Karlene Cunningham, PhD, was also supported by The Brown Initiative in HIV and AIDS Clinical Research for Minority Communities Training Grant (R25 MH83620). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.