South Africa has over 5 million people living with HIV with 2.1 million children having lost one or more parents due to AIDS. Many children experienced orphanhood at an early age, which can impact the child's well-being throughout their lifetime. This research explores the biological and social support relationship between youth orphaned due to AIDS and his/her caregiver to identify protective factors that are related to positive mental health outcomes.
Using a cross-sectional data-set from South Africa, youth orphaned due to AIDS are selected to examine their caregiver relationship, which was analyzed to determine if it was significantly related to mental health outcomes, with only anxiety showing significance.
Authors: Melissa Sharera, Lucie Cluverc, and Joseph Shieldsa
We strive to build lasting relationships to produce better health outcomes for all.
