‘ … But i’m still tired’: the experience of fatigue among South African adolescents receiving antiretroviral therapy

ABSTRACT

In adults with HIV, fatigue is a common and disabling symptom associated with suboptimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), poor health and well-being, reduced economic productivity, and increased health care resource use. Fatigue among adolescents with HIV is relatively unexplored. We recruited 14 adolescents with HIV receiving ART in South Africa whom we interviewed about fatigue. We used thematic analysis to analyse the data. Participants reported difficulties in maintaining concentration at school and resorting to self-care strategies such as napping during school hours. Adolescents also described actively avoiding activities thought to lead to fatigue and spoke of being socially excluded by their peers. The findings demonstrate that adolescents experienced symptoms consistent with a definition of fatigue, which had implications for their academic and social lives.

KEYWORDS:

• HIV
• antiretroviral therapy
• adolescents
• fatigue
• qualitative

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Stellenbosch Universities Sub-Committee A, as well as the University of Bath’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences & Department of Psychology for funding this research. We would also like to thank the participants for taking the time to complete the interviews, and the staff at the recruitment sites for supporting the research processes and practicalities.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

M. E. Loades http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0839-3190

Additional information

Funding

Dr Loades is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (Doctoral Research Fellowship, DRF-2016-09-021). This report is independent research. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, The National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health.