O-47 Community HIV Adherence and Adolescent Mental Health Program (CHAMP++) - Preliminary findings of a pilot program for adolescents living with HIV in Western Jamaica
Author(s):
A Barnett; Z Shim, G Reid, D Johnson Wallace, SA Williams, C Anderson, M Scott, T Evans-Gilbert
Year of Presentation:
2023
Objective: To summarize the challenges of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with HIV who transition to adult care and describe the interventions to address the psychological concerns and limited mental health resources through CHAMP++, a modified Community HIV Adherence, and Adolescent Mental Health Program (CHAMP )
Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective study during 2019-2022, in an adolescent HIV clinic in Western Jamaica. Psychological services, program implementation, and tasksharing activities of CHAMP++ are summarized.
Results: Among 64 AYA, transition and psychological issues experienced included long wait times, fear of stigma and discrimination, losing caregiver support, substance misuse, sexuality and disclosure issues, vocational and academic challenges, stress management, adherence issues, sexuality, sexual orientation, and body image issues. The major psychopathology presented among adolescents in the clinic were depression(spectrum), anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance misuse, and disruptive behavioural disorders. Psychological services provided to children, adolescent, and their families include clinical assessments, individual, family, and group psychotherapy, crisis management, community, and staff-related training and presentation, and consultation with treatment teams, families, and NGO support groups. Parenting skills, decision-making skills, and peer support were offered. AYA and families were linked to specialized care and communitybased resources. A task-sharing protocol was adopted for training the treatment team in adolescent mental health, including how to identify cases and administer basic screening tools to support psychological care and make appropriate referrals
Conclusion: CHAMP++ can be implemented to address psychological and transition issues among HIV-infected AYA, and increase access to the mental health workforce through training.