Substance abuse is on the rise in women. This increase in prevalence is disconcerting because women who abuse substances are at greater risk for a number of adverse consequences including HIV and violence. Women with schizophrenia and co-occurring substance use disorders may be at particular risk for HIV and violence because of the unique cognitive and social deficits they experience. There is, however, little or no research to support this hypothesis. Thus the primary goals of this project are: 1) to determine if women with schizophrenia and co-occurring substance use disorders are more vulnerable to HIV (e.g., engage in more high risk behaviors) and violent victimization than either women with major depression and co-occurring substance use disorders or women with substance use disorders only and no history of serious and persistent mental illness; 2) to determine if women with schizophrenia who abuse substances experience more violent victimization the women with major depression and co-occurring substance use disorders, or women with substance abuse disorders alone and no history of serious and persistent mental illness, and 3) to examine the causal sequencing between cognitive functioning, social competency, negative symptoms, and HIV risk and victimization.
