Psychosocial support for AIDS orphans

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Psychosocial support for AIDS orphans

• By
• Ssebunnya Joshua
• (Bsc, Msc. Clinical Psychology MUK)
• C/o Ashinaga Uganda
• Email joy95h_at_yahoo.co.uk

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Program description

• Psychosocial support program in Nansana-Wakiso
  district.
• Kind of day care facility.
• Over 500 AIDS orphans.

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Program goal

• Improvement of quality of life for children
  orphaned by AIDS by providing psychosocial
  support.

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Issues to note

• Orphans have high propensity for devt of
  psychological problems in future.
• Need for early detection and intervention
• High resilience in children.
• Psychosocial support being less tangible is an
  often neglected area of support.

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What is psychosocial support?

• Social and psychological aspects
• Meets physical, emotional, social, mental and
  spiritual needs.
• All such needs are essential for meaningful and
  positive development

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Why give psychosocial support?

• ? in number of orphans ? in psychosocial
  problems in society.
• ?sed parents capacity to provide consistent love
  and care.
• Social isolation, stigma and discrimination
• Series of losses (deaths, property separation)?
  invisible inner wounds.
• Long-term impact on development.
• Dysfunctional societies.

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Psychosocial stressors for orphans

• Terminal illness and highly stigmatized.
• Depletion of resources (poverty).
• Caring for sick parents.
• Caring for younger siblings.
• Disruption in normal life

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Activities

• Counseling.
• Home visits.
• Interaction with peers and adults.
• Support and activity groups.
• Life skills education.
• Experiential outdoor recreational learning.

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Substantial gains in areas of

• Grief process and overcoming trauma.
• Restoration and strengthening of self-esteem and
  self-confidence.
• Empowerment and sense of responsibility for ones
  life.
• Values and hope for future.
• Life skills education.

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Conclusion

• Psychosocial support for OVC is
• important in mitigation of HIV/AIDS
• impact.
• Preventative for psychological and mental
  health problems.

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Recommendations

• Emphasis on psychosocial support
• Enhance capacity for families communities to
  respond to psychosocial needs of OVC.
• Community sensitization on plight of OVC.
• Orient teachers on the problems of OVC and
  psychosocial counseling skills.

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• THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION