Using Narrative Films to Combat HIV-Related Stigma in Western Kenya: An Exploratory Pilot Study of Adolescents Living With HIV and Their Caregivers.

Objective. Interventions that effectively address HIV-related stigma are urgently needed to improve outcomes for adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). We piloted a series of 4 short narrative films depicting Kenyan ALHIV's lived experiences of stigma and discrimination with 57 ALHIV and 50 adult caregivers of ALHIV in western Kenya. Methods. Participants completed either pre- and post-viewing questionnaires, including an HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination scale, or participated in post-viewing focus group discussions. Three-month follow-up visits were conducted. Results. Caregivers endorsed significantly greater disagreement with stigmatizing statements on the scale at 3-month follow-up, whereas adolescents had no significant differences in scores. Participants reported they believed the films would have a positive impact on their communities and had led to changes in their own attitudes, beliefs and/or behavior. Conclusion. The HIV Stigma Films may show promise as an intervention to reduce stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about HIV-infection, especially among caregivers of ALHIV.

Attachments: What It Was Like for Me: A Triple Board Resident's Experience on a COVID Unit.

People frequently ask what it was like to work on a COVID ward in New York during the spring of 2020, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of my colleagues have written beautiful accounts of their experience or provided eloquent interviews. Meanwhile, I have never known how to respond. Questions about that time make me uncomfortable. Where do I even begin?

Mental health challenges among adolescents living with HIV.

INTRODUCTION: Mental health is a critical and neglected global health challenge for adolescents infected with HIV. The prevalence of mental and behavioural health issues among HIV-infected adolescents may not be well understood or addressed as the world scales up HIV prevention and treatment for adolescents. The objective of this narrative review is to assess the current literature related to mental health challenges faced by adolescents living with HIV, including access to mental health services, the role of mental health challenges during transition from paediatric to adult care services and responsibilities, and the impact of mental health interventions. METHODS: For each of the topics included in this review, individual searches were run using Medline and PubMed, accompanied by scans of bibliographies of relevant articles. The topics on which searches were conducted for HIV-infected adolescents include depression and anxiety, transition from paediatric to adult HIV care and its impact on adherence and mental health, HIV-related, mental health services and interventions, and the measurement of mental health problems. Articles were included if the focus was consistent with one of the identified topics, involved HIV-infected adolescents, and was published in English. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Mental and behavioural health challenges are prevalent in HIV-infected adolescents, including in resource-limited settings where most of them live, and they impact all aspects of HIV prevention and treatment. Too little has been done to measure the impact of mental health challenges for adolescents living with HIV, to evaluate interventions to best sustain or improve the mental health of this population, or to create healthcare systems with personnel or resources to promote mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health issues should be addressed proactively during adolescence for all HIV-infected youth. In addition, care systems need to pay greater attention to how mental health support is integrated into the care management for HIV, particularly throughout lifespan changes from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. The lack of research and support for mental health needs in resource-limited settings presents an enormous burden for which cost-effective solutions are urgently needed.

Mediators of the association between parental severe mental illness and offspring neurodevelopmental problems.

PURPOSE: Parental severe mental illness (SMI) is associated with an increased risk of offspring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted a study to examine the extent to which risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age mediated this association. METHODS: We obtained data on offspring born 1992-2001 in Sweden (n = 870,017) through the linkage of multiple population-based registers. We used logistic and Cox regression to assess the associations between parental SMI, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and offspring ASD and ADHD, as well as tested whether adverse pregnancy outcomes served as mediators. RESULTS: After controlling for measured covariates, maternal and paternal SMI were associated with an increased risk for preterm birth, low birth weight, and gestational age, and for offspring ASD and ADHD. These pregnancy outcomes were also associated with an increased risk of ASD and ADHD. We found that pregnancy outcomes did not mediate the association between parental SMI and offspring ASD and ADHD, as there was no substantial change in magnitude of the risk estimates after controlling for pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Parental SMI and adverse pregnancy outcomes appear to be independent risk factors for offspring ASD and ADHD.