Open AccessPsychosocial support for children
Author(s) -
Alison Clarke,
Sherry Hutchinson,
Ellen Weiss
Publication year - 2005
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.31899/hiv14.1003
Subject(s) - psychosocial , poverty , psychology , grief , social support , denial , economic growth , social psychology , psychiatry , psychotherapist , economics
Masiye Camp in Matopos National Park, and Kids’ Clubs in downtown Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, are examples of a growing number of programs in Africa and elsewhere that focus on the psychological and social needs of AIDS-affected children. Given the traumatic effects of grief, loss, and other hardships faced by these children, there is increasing recognition of the importance of programs to help them strengthen their social and emotional support systems. This Horizons Report describes findings from operations research in Zimbabwe and Rwanda that examines the psychosocial well-being of orphans and vulnerable children and ways to increase their ability to adapt and cope in the face of adversity. In these studies, a person’s psychosocial well-being refers to his/her emotional and mental state and his/her network of human relationships and connections. A total of 1,258 youth were interviewed. All were deemed vulnerable by their communities because they had been affected by HIV/AIDS and/or other factors such as severe poverty.