IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v70y2010i7p1002-1010.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The psychological effect of orphanhood in a matured HIV epidemic: An analysis of young people in Mukono, Uganda

Author

Listed:
  • Kaggwa, Esther B.
  • Hindin, Michelle J.

Abstract

As the HIV pandemic progresses, the number of orphans is expected to rise. Uganda is one of the countries that has been most impacted by the pandemic. A few studies have explored the effects of orphanhood on psychological well-being; however, most of these studies have not explored potential pathways through which orphanhood could affect psychological well-being. Using a school-based sample, this study sought to examine the differences in depressive symptoms and hopelessness between orphans and non-orphans in Mukono District, Uganda. The study also explored the potential mediating role of the family environment. The study included 1500 young people from 10 randomly selected schools in Mukono Town Council. Data on school characteristics also were collected from the head teachers or their designees. Linear regression methods were used for multivariate models. We found that orphanhood was associated with psychological ill health among the males. Male double and male maternal orphans had a significantly higher level of hopelessness than their non-orphaned counterparts. Male double orphans also had more depressive symptoms, but this association was mediated by the family environment. No differences were noted between orphaned and non-orphaned females. The cause and timing of parental death was important only among the males, and loss of a parent to HIV was associated with worse psychological outcomes among the males and not the females. Lower parent/guardian connectedness, having a chronically ill adult in the household and ill treatment in residence were associated with a higher level of depression, especially among the males. The data show that the effect of orphanhood on psychological outcomes may vary by gender and type of outcome. This study also suggests an attenuated effect of orphanhood on psychological well-being among school-going youth. Programs seeking to improve psychological well-being among youth must pay attention to the family situations of these youth.

Suggested Citation

  • Kaggwa, Esther B. & Hindin, Michelle J., 2010. "The psychological effect of orphanhood in a matured HIV epidemic: An analysis of young people in Mukono, Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(7), pages 1002-1010, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:70:y:2010:i:7:p:1002-1010
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277-9536(09)00842-9
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Atwine, Benjamin & Cantor-Graae, Elizabeth & Bajunirwe, Francis, 2005. "Psychological distress among AIDS orphans in rural Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 555-564, August.
    2. Adrian Mander & David Clayton, 2000. "Update to hotdeck imputation," Stata Technical Bulletin, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(54).
    3. Masmas, Tania Nicole & Jensen, Henrik & da Silva, Domingos & Høj, Lars & Sandström, Anita & Aaby, Peter, 2004. "The social situation of motherless children in rural and urban areas of Guinea-Bissau," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(6), pages 1231-1239, September.
    4. Adrian Mander & David Clayton, 2000. "Hotdeck imputation," Stata Technical Bulletin, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(51).
    5. Nyamukapa, C.A. & Gregson, S. & Lopman, B. & Saito, S. & Watts, H.J. & Monasch, R. & Jukes, M.C.H., 2008. "HIV-associated orphanhood and children's psychosocial distress: Theoretical framework tested with data from Zimbabwe," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(1), pages 133-141.
    6. Cluver, Lucie & Orkin, Mark, 2009. "Cumulative risk and AIDS-orphanhood: Interactions of stigma, bullying and poverty on child mental health in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1186-1193, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Bo & Li, Xiaoming & Barnett, Douglas & Zhao, Guoxiang & Zhao, Junfeng & Stanton, Bonita, 2012. "Risk and protective factors for depression symptoms among children affected by HIV/AIDS in rural China: A structural equation modeling analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(9), pages 1435-1443.
    2. Rachel Goldberg & Susan Short, 2012. "“The Luggage that isn’t Theirs is Too Heavy…”: Understandings of Orphan Disadvantage in Lesotho," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(1), pages 67-83, February.
    3. Perry, Elizabeth W. & Culbreth, Rachel & Swahn, Monica & Kasirye, Rogers & Self-Brown, Shannon, 2020. "Psychological distress among orphaned youth and youth reporting sexual exploitation in Kampala, Uganda," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    4. Hannah Han & Fan Yang & Sarah Murray & Gaspar Mbita & Maggie Bangser & Katherine Rucinski & Albert Komba & Caterina Casalini & Mary Drake & Esther Majani & Kelly Curran & Yeronimo Mlawa & Agnes Junga , 2021. "Characterizing a sexual health and HIV risk stratification scale for sexually active adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Tanzania," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-15, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rachel Goldberg & Susan Short, 2012. "“The Luggage that isn’t Theirs is Too Heavy…”: Understandings of Orphan Disadvantage in Lesotho," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(1), pages 67-83, February.
    2. Fournier, Bonnie & Bridge, Andrea & Pritchard Kennedy, Andrea & Alibhai, Arif & Konde-Lule, Joseph, 2014. "Hear our voices: A Photovoice project with children who are orphaned and living with HIV in a Ugandan group home," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 55-63.
    3. Dusheiko, Mark & Gravelle, Hugh & Yu, Ning & Campbell, Stephen, 2007. "The impact of budgets for gatekeeping physicians on patient satisfaction: Evidence from fundholding," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 742-762, July.
    4. Rachel Goldberg, 2013. "Family Instability and Early Initiation of Sexual Activity in Western Kenya," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(2), pages 725-750, April.
    5. Yanagisawa, Satoko & Poudel, Krishna C. & Jimba, Masamine, 2010. "Sibling caregiving among children orphaned by AIDS: Synthesis of recent studies for policy implications," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 98(2-3), pages 121-130, December.
    6. Kumakech, Edward & Cantor-Graae, Elizabeth & Maling, Samuel & Bajunirwe, Francis, 2009. "Peer-group support intervention improves the psychosocial well-being of AIDS orphans: Cluster randomized trial," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1038-1043, March.
    7. Hy V Huynh & Susan P Limber & Christine L Gray & Martie P Thompson & Augustine I Wasonga & Vanroth Vann & Dafrosa Itemba & Misganaw Eticha & Ira Madan & Kathryn Whetten, 2019. "Factors affecting the psychosocial well-being of orphan and separated children in five low- and middle-income countries: Which is more important, quality of care or care setting?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-12, June.
    8. Ingo Geishecker & John P. Haisken-DeNew, 2002. "Riding the Transition Roller-Coaster: Flexibility and the Inter-Industry Wage Structure in Russia," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 280, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    9. Betancourt, Theresa Stichick & Meyers-Ohki, Sarah & Stulac, Sara N. & Elizabeth Barrera, Amy & Mushashi, Christina & Beardslee, William R., 2011. "Nothing can defeat combined hands (Abashize hamwe ntakibananira): Protective processes and resilience in Rwandan children and families affected by HIV/AIDS," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(5), pages 693-701, September.
    10. Karimli, Leyla & Ssewamala, Fred M. & Neilands, Torsten B. & Wells, Christine R. & Bermudez, Laura Gauer, 2019. "Poverty, economic strengthening, and mental health among AIDS orphaned children in Uganda: Mediation model in a randomized clinical trial," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 17-24.
    11. Kathryn Whetten & Jan Ostermann & Brian W Pence & Rachel A Whetten & Lynne C Messer & Sumedha Ariely & Karen O'Donnell & Augustine I Wasonga & Vanroth Vann & Dafrosa Itemba & Misganaw Eticha & Ira Mad, 2014. "Three-Year Change in the Wellbeing of Orphaned and Separated Children in Institutional and Family-Based Care Settings in Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-10, August.
    12. Qi Zhao & Hui He & Huang Gu & Junfeng Zhao & Peilian Chi & Xiaoming Li, 2021. "Facial Expression Processing of Children Orphaned by Parental HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Sectional ERP Study with Rapid Serial Visual Presentation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-11, September.
    13. Campbell, Catherine & Andersen, Louise & Mutsikiwa, Alice & Pufall, Erica & Skovdal, Morten & Madanhire, Claudius & Nyamukapa, Connie & Gregson, Simon, 2015. "Factors shaping the HIV-competence of two primary schools in rural Zimbabwe," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 226-236.
    14. Roche, Steven, 2020. "Conceptualising children’s life histories and reasons for entry into residential care in the Philippines: Social contexts, instabilities and safeguarding," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    15. Ssewamala, Fred M. & Han, Chang-Keun & Neilands, Torsten B., 2009. "Asset ownership and health and mental health functioning among AIDS-orphaned adolescents: Findings from a randomized clinical trial in rural Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 191-198, July.
    16. Perry, Elizabeth W. & Culbreth, Rachel & Swahn, Monica & Kasirye, Rogers & Self-Brown, Shannon, 2020. "Psychological distress among orphaned youth and youth reporting sexual exploitation in Kampala, Uganda," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    17. A. Sathiya Susuman, 2017. "Mental Health Issues and Policy in Sub Saharan Africa: A view from Cape Town to Cairo," International Journal of Health and Medical Sciences, Mohammad A. H. Khan, vol. 3(3), pages 59-66.
    18. Neil G. Bennett & Hsien-Hen Lu & Younghwan Song, 2002. "Welfare Reform and Changes in the Economic Well-Being of Children," NBER Working Papers 9399, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Kokko Ari & Söderlund Bengt & Tingvall Patrik Gustavsson, 2014. "Redirecting International Trade: Contracts, Conflicts, and Institutions," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 234(6), pages 688-721, December.
    20. Tommaso Ciarli & Roberta Rabellotti, 2004. "ICTs in Industrial Districts: An Empirical Analysis on Adoption, Use and Impact in the Biella Textile District," Working Papers 73, SEMEQ Department - Faculty of Economics - University of Eastern Piedmont.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:70:y:2010:i:7:p:1002-1010. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.