School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa.
Medical Biosciences Department, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 22;19(23):15468. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315468.
(1) Background: Psychosocial support (PSS) plays a significant role in persistent adherence to and retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) for adolescents living with the human immunodeficiency virus (ALHIV). This paper qualitatively explores the experiences of ALHIV on ART, who participated in a PSS programme in five public primary healthcare facilities in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: Data were collected through 24 focus group discussions with 173 ALHIV on ART and subjected to inductive thematic analysis. Informed consent was obtained before all data collection. (3) Results: The PSS programme facilitated the process of full HIV disclosure to these adolescents with the support of parents/guardians while motivating adherence through peer support groups and health education for improved treatment literacy. Participants reported positive health systems experiences, improved healthcare provider-client relations, and prompt access to health services. (4) Conclusions: The PSS programme successfully kept ALHIV engaged in ART care despite the health service disruptions encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recommend rigorous evaluation of the effects of the PSS intervention on adherence to and retention in ART among ALHIV in HIV-endemic settings.
(1) 背景：心理社会支持（PSS）在青少年人类免疫缺陷病毒（ALHIV）持续坚持和维持抗逆转录病毒治疗（ART）中发挥着重要作用。本文定性探讨了在 COVID-19 大流行期间，参加了南非姆普马兰加省五家公立初级保健设施中 PSS 计划的 ALHIV 对 ART 的体验。
(2) 方法：通过对 173 名接受 ART 的 ALHIV 进行 24 次焦点小组讨论收集数据，并进行归纳主题分析。在进行所有数据收集之前，均获得了知情同意。
(3) 结果：PSS 计划在父母/监护人的支持下，为这些青少年提供了充分的 HIV 披露过程，通过同伴支持小组和健康教育激励了他们的依从性，提高了治疗素养。参与者报告了积极的卫生系统体验、改善了医患关系以及获得医疗服务的及时性。
(4) 结论：尽管在 COVID-19 大流行期间遇到了卫生服务中断，但 PSS 计划成功地使 ALHIV 参与了 ART 护理。我们建议在艾滋病毒流行地区，对 PSS 干预对 ALHIV 坚持和维持 ART 的效果进行严格评估。
