title: Parental HIV/AIDS and psychological health of younger children in South Africa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined several indicators of psychological health in a sample of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) to determine if there were significant differences between those orphaned by AIDS and those orphaned by other causes, and if there were gender differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our sample consisted of 119 young children (ages 6-10 years) who participated in a non-governmental organisation (NGO)-supported social services programme in a low-resource, non-urban community in South Africa. We collected data on three groups: non-orphans (OVC1; n = 45); orphans due to AIDS (OVC2; n = 43); and other orphans (OVC3; n = 31). Parents of non-orphans and legal guardians of orphans rated their children on a 112-item, age appropriate Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), South Africa version.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in the OVC2 group were significantly different from their peers on Internalising Problems and Somatic Complaints, while OVC3 group had a higher proportion of children in the at-risk range on Social Problems compared to OVC2. Females had elevated scores on the anxious/depressed, internalising problems, total problems, and sluggish cognitive tempo scales compared to males. There was an interaction between factors, such that boys in OVC2 had elevated mean scores on Somatic Complaints. These findings suggest increased vulnerability for girls on emotional issues and for boys on somatic problems.
authors: a Department of Psychology , College of Staten Island/City University of New York , USA.|b Department of Psychology , University of Pretoria , South Africa.
authors: Comfort
authors: C
authors: Asanbe
authors: b Department of Psychology , University of Pretoria , South Africa.
authors: Anne-Gloria
authors: AG
authors: Moleko
authors: b Department of Psychology , University of Pretoria , South Africa.
authors: Maretha
authors: M
authors: Visser
authors: b Department of Psychology , University of Pretoria , South Africa.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Thomas
authors: c Lefika OVC Program, Lefika La Botshabelo Centre , St Peter's Lutheran Church, Pretoria , South Africa.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Makwakwa
authors: a Department of Psychology , College of Staten Island/City University of New York , USA.
authors: Waleska
authors: W
authors: Salgado
authors: a Department of Psychology , College of Staten Island/City University of New York , USA.
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Tesnakis
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D054540:Child, Orphaned / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D063129:Parental Death / Q000208:ethnology*; D013019:South Africa / Q000208:ethnology