title: Assessment of emotional status of orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the emotional status of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in two communities in Zambia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Health Ed Connect Adaptation Questionnaire (HECAQ) was used to interview 306 OVC and 158 primary caregivers in Zambia in 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Child participants and caregivers reported evidence of emotional distress behaviors in the majority of OVC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More research to evaluate the efficacy of intervention programs for loss and grief, normal and abnormal reactions to grief, and positive coping skills is needed to assist both children and their caretakers. In the population studied, caregivers and OVC could benefit from additional support for promoting emotional health and managing emotional distress in vulnerable children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare professionals play a key role in promoting the emotional health of OVC through identification of deviant behaviors and the development of interventions to alleviate emotional and psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Graceland University, and HealthEd Connect, Independence, MO 64050, USA. kirkpat@graceland.edu
authors.forename: Sharon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick
authors.forename: Wilaiporn
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rojjanasrirat
authors.forename: Beverly J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: South
authors.forename: Jeri A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sindt
authors.forename: Lee A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D054540:Child, Orphaned / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult; D015024:Zambia