Perceived social support of HIV/AIDS orphans: a review

HIV/AIDS orphans are a vulnerable and disadvantaged group. The HIV/AIDS orphans’ crisis is an emerging problem of developing societies. Existing research, literature, and findings on perceived social support (PSS) of HIV/AIDS orphans in the world till date have been compiled with the aim of presenting the current status of research, major findings, and gaps in this area. A thorough review of published empirical studies from PubMed, PsycINFO databases, online publications of several organizations, web searches, and several online journals related to PSS of HIV/AIDS orphans have been reviewed. HIV/AIDS orphans from 6 to 18 years, whose either or both parents had died due to HIV/AIDS or were staying with HIV-positive parents were selected for this purpose. Six out of eight studies found low level of PSS in HIV/AIDS orphans and two studies found peer-group intervention very effective to improved PSS in HIV/AIDS orphans. They severely experience negative emotions, behavioral problems, higher levels of psychological difficulties, and poor academic performances due to the reasons like drawn out-of-school, living with an unaffectionate caretaker, inadequate care, child labor, physical and sexual abuse, stigma, and discrimination. The psychological health of HIV/AIDS orphans is at risk, and prevention and intervention efforts are missing for improving their psychological outcomes. The review recommends that a rigorous research needs to be prioritized so that the programs and policymakers that are attempting to work for their well-being may get helpful information to design evidence-based interventions.