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Negative Mental Health Factors in Children Orphaned by AIDS: Natural Mentoring as a Palliative Care

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Abstract

The study examined the psychosocial mental health of some children whose parents died of AIDS (n = 373) in Uganda and South Africa. The design had 2 control groups: other-causes orphaned (n = 287), and non-orphaned (n = 290) children (grand mean age = 13.59, SD = 2.34). We utilized a battery of standardized psychosocial measures to estimate mental health in the groups. Natural mentoring relationship was estimated with the Ragins and McFarlin (J Vocat Behav 37:321–339, 1990) Mentor Role Instrument. Results indicated that AIDS-orphaned children showed highest negative, and lowest positive mental health factors in the 3 groups. Children in a mentoring relationship showed better mental health factors than those without a mentor. We ascribed the AIDS-orphaned children’s highest negative mental health condition to the incidence of higher double parental loss in the group, and suggested natural mentorship as a palliative care against negative mental health.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for its financial grant for this study. We also thank the members and staff of the community school/NGO orphan and vulnerable children support centers in Mafikeng/Klerksdorp (South Africa) and Kampala (Uganda), where the study was conducted, for their cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    Francis N. Onuoha & Tsunetsugu Munakata

  2. School of Economics & Decision Sciences, North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa

    Philip A. E. Serumaga-Zake

  3. School of Postgraduate Studies, Ndejje University, Kampala, Uganda

    Rebecca M. Nyonyintono

  4. Department of Sociology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Stephen M. Bogere

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  1. Francis N. Onuoha
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  2. Tsunetsugu Munakata
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  3. Philip A. E. Serumaga-Zake
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  4. Rebecca M. Nyonyintono
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  5. Stephen M. Bogere
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Correspondence to Francis N. Onuoha.

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Onuoha, F.N., Munakata, T., Serumaga-Zake, P.A.E. et al. Negative Mental Health Factors in Children Orphaned by AIDS: Natural Mentoring as a Palliative Care. AIDS Behav 13, 980–988 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9459-0

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