Validation of a Brief Screening Instrument for Substance Abuse and Mental Illness in HIV-Positive Patients.

The article reports on the validation of a briefing screening instrument for substance abuse and mental illness in HIV-positive patients. The SA/MI Symptoms Screener functioned as a first-line screening tool for SA/MI in the HIV clinic population. Persons screening positive require a more rigorous confirmatory psychiatric evaluation. In addition, evidence suggests that SA and MI influence immune function and HIV disease dependent of their effect on adherence.