BackgroundPatients with mental disorders are at increased risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, yet the prevalence of HCV among patients in Polish psychiatric ward remains unknown.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted in Poland from 2021 to 2023 in psychiatric wards. Adults recently hospitalized with at least one current mental health condition were eligible and 12–897 individuals were tested for anti HCV antibodies. Patients with confirmed active HCV infection (subsequent nucleic acid testing) were offered treatment.ResultsOf the 12,897 individuals who constituted the sample, 64% were male, and the median age was 45 years (interquartile range: 35–58 years). Among those subjects, 226 patients (representing 1.8% of the total) exhibited a positive HCV antibody test result, and 172 of these patients had active HCV infection (the prevalence of 1.3%). Multivariate analysis identified five risk factors for HCV infection within the investigated population: intravenous drug use (odds ratio [OR] = 9.40; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.12–14.44; p<0.001), diagnosed and treated liver disease (OR = 6.17; 95% CI: 4.10–9.26; p < 0.001); blood transfusions prior to 1992 (OR = 2.61; 95% CI: 1.29–5.28; p=0.008), diagnosis of mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance abuse (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.34–2.91; p=0.001) and previous incarceration (OR = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.08–2.43, p=0.018).ConclusionsHigh prevalence of HCV infection in patients with mental health disorders and specifically in patients who used intravenous drugs suggests the importance of screening for HCV in this vulnerable population.
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