Mental health interventions for adolescents living with HIV or affected by HIV in low- A nd middle-income countries: Systematic review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mental health interventions for adolescents living with HIV or affected by HIV in low- A nd middle-income countries

T2 - Systematic review

AU - Bhana, Arvin

AU - Abas, Melanie Amna

AU - Kelly, Jane

AU - Van Pinxteren, Myrna

AU - Mudekunye, Lynette Alice

AU - Pantelic, Marija

N1 - Funding Information: The study was supported by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

PY - 2020/9/4

Y1 - 2020/9/4

N2 - BackgroundMental health difficulties and mental disorders are common in adolescents living with HIV or who are affected by HIV because of living in HIV-affected households in low- A nd middle-income (LMICs) countries, but little is known about the interventions that target these individuals and whether they are effective.AimsThis systematic review aims to address these gaps by examining what has worked and what has not worked to support the mental health of adolescents living with HIV or affected by HIV in low- A nd middle-income contexts (PROSPERO Number: CRD42018103269).MethodA systematic literature review of online databases from the year 2000 to 2018, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, included English-language publications of quantitative evaluations of psychosocial interventions aiming to improve mental health among adolescents living with HIV and adolescents from HIV-affected households (aged 10-24 years) in LMICs.ResultsOut of 2956 articles, 16 studies from 8 LMICs met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies focused on adolescents affected by HIV and only three studies on adolescents living with HIV. Only five studies included were from Sub-Saharan Africa. Interventions most often used a family-strengthening approach strengthening caregiver-adolescent relationships and communication and some problem-solving in groups or individually. Five studies reported statistically significant changes in adolescent and caregiver mental health or mental well-being, five among adolescents only and two among caregivers only.ConclusionsResearch on what works to improve mental health in adolescents living with HIV in LMIC is in its nascent stages. Family-based interventions and economic strengthening show promise.

AB - BackgroundMental health difficulties and mental disorders are common in adolescents living with HIV or who are affected by HIV because of living in HIV-affected households in low- A nd middle-income (LMICs) countries, but little is known about the interventions that target these individuals and whether they are effective.AimsThis systematic review aims to address these gaps by examining what has worked and what has not worked to support the mental health of adolescents living with HIV or affected by HIV in low- A nd middle-income contexts (PROSPERO Number: CRD42018103269).MethodA systematic literature review of online databases from the year 2000 to 2018, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, included English-language publications of quantitative evaluations of psychosocial interventions aiming to improve mental health among adolescents living with HIV and adolescents from HIV-affected households (aged 10-24 years) in LMICs.ResultsOut of 2956 articles, 16 studies from 8 LMICs met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies focused on adolescents affected by HIV and only three studies on adolescents living with HIV. Only five studies included were from Sub-Saharan Africa. Interventions most often used a family-strengthening approach strengthening caregiver-adolescent relationships and communication and some problem-solving in groups or individually. Five studies reported statistically significant changes in adolescent and caregiver mental health or mental well-being, five among adolescents only and two among caregivers only.ConclusionsResearch on what works to improve mental health in adolescents living with HIV in LMIC is in its nascent stages. Family-based interventions and economic strengthening show promise.

KW - Adolescents living with AIDS

KW - HIV/AIDS

KW - interventions

KW - mental health

KW - systematic review

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85098050789&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1192/bjo.2020.67

DO - 10.1192/bjo.2020.67

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85098050789

SN - 2056-4724

VL - 6

JO - BJPsych Open

JF - BJPsych Open

IS - 5

M1 - e104

ER -