Depression due to loss of a parent in a child with HIV

Abstract

HIV-infected and HIV-affected children experience grief from the death of their family, many caregiver transitions, and the potentially traumatic experience of living under stigma. Boy patient, 9 years old, Hindu, Balinese, single, not working, was consulted from the pediatric department and admitted in the Cempaka room of Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah on April 6, 2023. From auto-anamnesis, he has a depressive mood, loss of interest and excitement, weight loss, fatigue or loss of energy, insomnia, psychomotor agitation, or retardation. The patient was diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in 2014 when he was a year and six months old. The patient lost his father in February 2023. The patient experienced depression caused by psychosocial stressors because of the loss of his father and was diagnosed with HIV. HIV-infected children are prone to get depression. One of the psychosocial stressors experienced by children with HIV is the prolonged mourning process due to the loss of a family member. Comprehensive treatment is needed in the form of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. Family support is the most important thing in relieving symptoms of depression and increasing medication adherence.