Psychosocial consequences for children experiencing parental loss due to HIV/AIDS in central China

Abstract

Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 47 children (ages 8–17 years) experiencing the loss of one or both parents due to HIV/AIDS in two rural counties of central China. Findings in this study reveal that the families of the children orphaned by AIDS had experienced financial burdens because of treatment costs for sick parents and loss of labor in the household. The majority of the participants reported some level of stigmatization because of their parents’ HIV status. The participants described feelings of sadness, fear, anxiety, anger, loneliness, low self-esteem, social withdrawal, and sleep problems. Implications for intervention programs include the need for psychological support and special counseling services, more public education with accurate knowledge about HIV/AIDS to decrease stigma and discrimination, and financial programs to decrease economic and caregiving burdens for these children.

Keywords:

• orphans
• HIV/AIDS
• psychological well-being
• China

Acknowledgements

The study described in this report was supported by NIH Research Grant R01MH76488 by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Nursing Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institute of Nursing Research. The authors thank Ms. Rachel Golin and Mr. Mark McCubbin for their assistance on the translation of interview transcripts. The authors also want to thank Joanne Zwemer for assistance with manuscript of preparation.