title: Perceived social support and the psychological well-being of AIDS orphans in urban Kenya.
abstract: Parental deaths due to AIDS seriously affect the psychological well-being of children. Social support may provide an effective resource in the care of vulnerable children in resource-limited settings. However, few studies have examined the relationships between social support and psychological well-being among AIDS orphans. This cross-sectional study was conducted to explore associations between perceived social support (PSS) and the psychological well-being of AIDS orphans, and to identify socio-demographic factors that are associated with PSS. Data were collected from 398 pairs of AIDS orphans (aged 10-18 years) and their caregivers in Nairobi, Kenya. The participants provided information on their socio-demographic characteristics, the children's PSS, and the children's psychological status (based on measures of depressive symptoms and self-esteem). Of the 398 pairs, 327 were included in the analysis. PSS scores of AIDS orphans showed significant correlations with depressive symptoms (ρ =-0.31, p<0.001) and self-esteem (ρ=0.32, p<0.001). Socio-demographic factors, such as HIV-positive status of children (β=3.714, p=0.014) and cohabitation with siblings (β=3.044, p=0.016), were also associated with higher PSS scores. In particular, HIV-infected children (n=37) had higher scores of PSS from a special person (β=2.208, p=0.004), and children living with biological siblings (n=269) also had higher scores of PSS from both a special person (β=1.411, p=0.029) and friends (β=1.276, p=0.039). In conclusion, this study showed that PSS is positively associated with the psychological well-being of AIDS orphans. Siblings and special persons can be effective sources of social support for AIDS orphans, which help to promote their psychological well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Sumiyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yasuoka
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Krishna C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Poudel
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ragi
authors.forename: Masamine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jimba
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D054540:Child, Orphaned / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health