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Title:Conceptions of mental health among Ugandan youth orphaned by AIDS
Author:Harms, Sheila
Year:2009
Periodical:African Journal of AIDS Research
Volume:8
Issue:1
Pages:7-16
Language:English
Geographic term:Uganda
Subjects:orphans
mental health
AIDS
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External link:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2989/AJAR.2009.8.1.2.715
Abstract:The AIDS epidemic has disproportionately affected developing or low-income sub-Saharan African countries. Within the context of the epidemic, children and youth are at risk of losing their parents at an early age. The experience of orphanhood due to AIDS has the potential to negatively impact on a child's mental health. A qualitative study was conducted to describe the experience of orphanhood and its impact on mental health from the culturally specific perspective of Ugandan youths. It is based on interviews with a sample of 13 youths (ages 12 to 18) who had lost one or both parents to AIDS illness and who were also affiliated with a nongovernmental organization providing support to orphans. The orphaned youths experienced significant ongoing emotional difficulties following the death of their parent(s). They were unfamiliar with the term 'mental health', however they easily identified factors associated with good or poor mental health. In general, good mental health was associated with social conduct that is culturally appropriate. Poor mental health was perceived as a form of madness and it was associated with a loss of basic life necessities, such as access to food, education or shelter. The youths also identified factors that promote more successful orphans. The findings of the study suggest that Western terminologies and symptom constellations in the American Psychiatric Association's 'Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders', IV (1994) may not be applicable in an African cultural context. There are several clinical implications, including the development of a mental health intervention paradigm that emphasizes resilience. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]
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