Health care professionals\u2019 perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orphan children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS and mental distress in a rural district in central, Uganda

James Mugisha,Eugene Kinyanda,Winfred Nalukenge,Birthe Loa Knizek,Joseph Osafo

doi:10.1186/s13034-020-00332-8

Abstract

BackgroundLittle/no research has been conducted in Uganda in particular and sub-Saharan Africa in general on the health professional’s perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orphan children and adolescents with a double burden of HIV/AIDS and mental distress.AimTo explore health professionals’ perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orphan children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS and mental distress in Masaka, Uganda.MethodQualitative research design using key informant interviews with health service managers and staff in agencies working with children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS in Masaka district, Uganda.ResultsBarriers to treatment seeking reported by health care professionals were quite enormous and are summarized under: family, individual, community and health systems level barriers. The crosscutting finding here is that the societal informal and formal systems of care had been affected by the HIV/AIDs epidemic, and, mental distress aggravates this challenge for the individuals afflicted and families affected by mental distress.ConclusionChildren and adolescents with both HIV/AIDS and mental distress are vulnerable due to constraints at family, community and health systems levels. Effective public health interventions to address the double burden of HIV/AIDS and mental distress will be vital in the study communities addressing the constraints at family, community and institutional level. Public health interventions should aim at increased access and effective utilization of services for both HIV/AIDS and mental health services. Stigma reduction strategies at individual, family and community levels are also recommended.

Highlights

Little/no research has been conducted in Uganda in particular and sub-Saharan Africa in general on the health professional’s perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orphan children and adolescents with a double burden of HIV/AIDS and mental distress
The study is deemed exploratory since there are no similar studies in Uganda that have been conducted on health care professionals perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for HIV/AIDS
We address the perceptions of health professionals about their concerns as to why children and adolescents with HIV/AIDS and mental distress may not seek treatment from formal health service systems (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Little/no research has been conducted in Uganda in particular and sub-Saharan Africa in general on the health professional’s perspectives on barriers to treatment seeking for formal health services among orphan children and adolescents with a double burden of HIV/AIDS and mental distress. There are unprecedented efforts in Africa in general and Uganda in particular to expand care for children with HIV/AIDS [1]. A large number of these children are orphans. Mugisha et al Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health (2020) 14:26 seeking for children and adolescents seeking HIV/AIDS services (including HIV/AIDS orphans) in the country [2]. The largest proportion of these children has been orphaned by HIV/AIDS [6, 7]. It has been estimated that Uganda has 200,000 children that are HIV infected. HIV is the second leading cause of death among adolescents in Uganda [3]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion