Abstract
Mental health problems (e.g., anxiety, depression) are frequently experienced by adolescents living with HIV (ALWH) and can worsen HIV-related outcomes. This scoping review synthesizes the existing research on ALWHs’ mental health problems at multiple steps along the HIV care continuum in sub-Saharan Africa. Searching PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO identified 34 peer-reviewed studies that met inclusion criteria. Most studies assessed ALWHs’ mental health problems at the “Engaged or Retained in Care” continuum step, are cross-sectional, focus on depression and anxiety, and used measures developed in high-income countries. Studies identify mental health problems among ALWH as prevalent and barriers to care. Significant gaps remain in understanding how mental health problems and their relationships with HIV-related health outcomes shift across the continuum. Additional attention is needed, especially at the HIV testing and viral suppression steps, to generate a more comprehensive understanding of mental health needs and priority timepoints for intervention for ALWH.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2548-2565 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | AIDS and behavior |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 8 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2023 |
Keywords
- Adolescents
- Care continuum
- HIV/AIDS
- Mental health problems
- Sub-Saharan Africa
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Social Psychology