The VUKA family program: piloting a family-based psychosocial intervention to promote health and mental health among HIV infected early adolescents in South Africa
OUTPUT TYPE: Journal Article
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2013
TITLE AUTHOR(S): A.Bhana, C.A.Mellins, I.Petersen, S.Alicea, N.Myeza, H.Holst, E.Abrams, S.John, M.Chhagan, D.F.Nestadt, C-S.Leu, M.McKay
KEYWORDS: ADOLESCENTS, FAMILY PARTICIPATION, HIV/AIDS, INTERVENTION, MENTAL HEALTH, PSYCHOSOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 7797
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/9279
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/9279
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
An increasing number of adolescents born with HIV in South Africa are on antiretroviral treatment and have to confront complex issues related to coping with a chronic, stigmatizing and transmittable illness. Very few evidence-based mental health and health promotion programs for this population exist in South Africa. This study builds on a previous collaboratively designed and developmentally timed family-based intervention for early adolescents (CHAMP). The study uses community-based participatory approach as part of formative research to evaluate a pilot randomized control trial at two hospitals. The paper reports on the development, feasibility, and acceptability of the VUKA family-based program and its short-term impact on a range of psychosocial variables for HIV+ preadolescents and their caregivers. A 10-session intervention oof approximately 3-month duration was delivered to 65 pre-adolescents aged 10-13 years and their families. VUKA participants were noted to improve on all dimensions, including mental health, youth behavior, HIV treatment knowledge, stigma, communication, and adherence to medication. VUKA shows promise as a family-based mental and HIV prevention program for HIV+ pre-adolescents and which could be delivered by trained lay staff.-
Related Research Outputs:
- Psychosocial challenges and protective influences for socio-emotional coping of HIV+ adolescents in South Africa: a qualitative investigation
- Children and youth at risk: adaptation and pilot study of the CHAMP (Amaqhawe) programme in South Africa
- Social and behavioral aspects of child and adolescent participation in HIV vaccine trials
- Mediating social representations using a cartoon narrative in the context of HIV/AIDS: the AmaQhawe family project in South Africa
- Inclusiveness: a mental health strategy for preventing future mental health problems among adolescents orphaned by AIDS
- Measuring change in vulnerable adolescents: findings from a peer education evaluation in South Africa
- The VUKA family program: implementation challenges and pragmatic concerns of a family-based psychosocial intervention to promote health and mental health among HIV+ early adolescents in health facilities in KwaZulu-Natal
- Identifying community risk factors for HIV among South African adolescents with mental health problems: a qualitative study of parental perceptions
- HIV/STI risk-reduction intervention efficacy with South African adolescents over 54 months
- Exploring risk and protective mechanisms associated with HIV infection among adolescents in South Africa
- Exploring risk & protective mechanisms associated with HIV infection among adolescents in South Africa
- Pathways from parental AIDS to child psychological, educational and sexual risk: developing and empirically-based interactive theoretical model
- Time for the next steps
- Impacts and interventions: the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the children of South Africa
- Impacts and interventions: the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the children of South Africa
- Report on the child and adolescent mental health policy guidelines workshop
- Improving school children's mental health in an era of HIV/AIDS
- Mental health and HIV/AIDS: report on a round-table discussion, March 2003
- Report on the provincial round table: implementing the child & adolescent mental health policy guidelines
- HIV/AIDS in developing countries: heading towards a mental health and consequent social disaster?