ABSTRACT This study explores the backstage stories of street-connected children to understand the complex and intertwined pathways that drive them to see street life as a last resort in Ethiopia. Using a phenomenological approach, the study conducted 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with children living on the streets of Addis Ababa and analysed the data thematically. The findings reveal that children’s decisions to leave home are rarely the result of a single cause. While participants often pointed to immediate triggers – such as parental death, abuse, or peer influence – their narratives uncovered a web of interrelated factors, including family dysfunction, poverty, neglect, and emotional deprivation. These overlapping challenges gradually pushed them toward street life, not as a deliberate choice but as a response to prolonged hardship and limited alternatives. The study underscores that pathway to the street are cumulative, shaped by both traumatic events and systemic neglect. Recognizing this complexity is critical for developing holistic, child-centred prevention, intervention, and reintegration strategies that address both visible hardships and underlying emotional and social drivers of street involvement.

Epidemiology of child disadvantage and developmental vulnerability in Australia: Insights from linked administrative data.

ABSTRACT Adults who experienced separation from parental care and resided in alternative care settings often face challenges transitioning to adulthood. This study explored perceived supports and barriers during this transition through an online survey of 962 care‐experienced adults from over 20 countries. It combined demographic analysis and thematic analysis of qualitative responses. Key findings indicated that the reasons for separation from biological parents included parental death (29.9%), abandonment (22.2%), family instability (19.1%) and poverty (19.4%). The following three overarching themes emerged: (1) relationships and social networks, including the importance of supportive relationships and psychosocial services; (2) well‐being and resilience, including how mental health challenges impacted functioning, while resilience led to growth; and (3) resources and opportunities, including how education and long‐term support were vital, while financial difficulties and lack of resources hindered progress. Recommendations aimed to improve support systems for more stable transitions to adulthood are discussed.

This paper examines how childcare intersects with the well-being of grandmothers, mainly poor elderly women dependent on social grants who are charged with looking after their grandchildren in Mafarana village, Limpopo, South Africa. Like many rural villages in the South African countryside, Mafarana has been ravaged by climate change, leading to droughts and failed crops, intensifying the care burden. The paper draws upon ethnographic, original field research conducted in Mafarana. The paper establishes that there are various reasons why grandchildren find themselves under the care of their grandmothers instead of their parents. These include the death of parents, inadequate wages to support the children in rural areas, single/divorced mothers’ financial constraints, among other reasons. There is also a reciprocal dynamic to these caring relations in that both the grandmothers and grandchildren benefit from each other’s companionship – grandmothers in dealing with their loneliness and grandchildren in the parental guidance, financial support, and emotional care. Grandmothers also receive remittances to help support the household from children working in cities like Johannesburg. The paper argues that the reliance on grandmothers' unpaid childcare labour funded by social grants, constitutes a significant subsidy to South Africa’s low-wage capitalist economy. This gendered burden of social reproduction is dangerously intensified by climate change, pushing these households into a deeper state of precarity.

Parental loss represents one of life's most profound challenges. However, the research on Filipino adults' grief experiences remains scarce. The study is a descriptive phenomenological study that aims to know the lived experiences of Filipino adults who have lost a parent, with particular focus on how cultural context influences their grief journey, coping mechanisms, and meaning-making processes. Using Edmund Husserl's phenomenological approach and the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement as theoretical frameworks, in-depth interviews were conducted with Filipino young adults who experienced parental death. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's method. The findings are five major themes that emerged from the analysis: (1) Emotional Disruption, characterized by initial numbness, delayed grief responses, and profound disorientation, particularly for those physically distant during the parent's death; (2) Altered Sense of Identity and Role, reflecting participants' premature assumption of adult responsibilities, development of resilience, and reconstruction of self-concept; (3) Coping and Meaning-Making Strategies, including goal-directed actions as tribute to deceased parents, distraction through busyness, spiritual reconnection through prayer, and memory recall as sources of strength; (4) Interpersonal Shifts and Social Understanding, encompassing heightened empathy toward others, re-evaluation of social bonds, and use of success for social affirmation; and (5) Reflection and Realization of Mortality, involving regrets over unfinished business, appreciation for life's impermanence, and pathways to forgiveness and reconciliation. Results suggest that grief can be simultaneously destructive and transformative, leading to enhanced self-reliance, altered life perspectives, and more substantial commitment to honouring parental legacy.

Literature exploring impacts of parental death on young people demonstrates profound effects both individually, and within the family system. Family roles and responsibilities may change for all, with potential additive impacts of socio-economic status (SES), but these are presently under-explored. The present study therefore aims to address this knowledge gap. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Black adolescents aged 16–18 years, identified as having low SES. Data were analyzed verbatim using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five themes were developed, each containing further subthemes: (1) They should be here, (2) The weight of grief, (3) Redefining family and finances, (4) Navigating external support and (5) Moving forward from loss. The findings demonstrate unique experiences and challenges faced by Black adolescents from low SES groupings following parental death, identifying both its profound emotional impacts and its wider systemic effects on familial roles, financial stability and access to supports.

BackgroundEven though the co-occurrence of Human Immune-Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and depression is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in youth living with HIV/AIDS, in Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of evidence on depression and associated factors. Hence, this study aimed at the assessment of depression and associated factors among HIV-positive youth attending antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics at public hospitals in Gamo and Ari Zones, South Ethiopia.MethodA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1, 2024, to April 30, 2024, among HIV-positive youth attending ART clinics at public hospitals in Gamo and Ari Zones. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 343 study participants. Descriptive statistics were used to describe variables. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with depression. Variables with p-value <0.25 on the bivariable logistic regression analysis were candidates for the multivariable logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine the strength of association. A p-value <0.05 was used to set a statistical significance.ResultA total of 343 HIV-positive youths were included in the study, with a 96.4% response rate. The proportion of depression was 22.2% (95%CI: 18.1%, 26.9%). Poor psychosocial support (AOR = 2.87; 95%CI: 1.18, 6.98), death of parents (AOR = 3.28; 95%CI: 1.73, 6.20), substance use (AOR = 3.44; 95%CI: 1.60, 7.43), advanced WHO clinical staging (AOR = 4.35; 95% CI: 1.97, 9.61), and initiation on a non-Dolutegravir (DTG)-based regimen (AOR = 2.72; 95%CI: 1.15, 6.42) were associated with depression among HIV positive youths.ConclusionDepression is found to be a significant public health problem in the study settings. Poor psychosocial support, death of parents, substance use, advanced WHO clinical staging, and initiation on a non-DTG-based regimen were significant predictors of depression. Special attention should be given to those with poor psychosocial support, substance use, orphaned, and poor baseline clinical characteristics. Moreover, early identification and treatment of youths with depression during routine HIV care is essential to avert depression.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is vital for controlling the viral load and disease progression in people living with HIV. Previous reviews on ART adherence among youths living with HIV (YLHIV) are outdated and lack coverage of youth populations. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using the WHO framework to identify factors influencing ART adherence among youth living with HIV (YLHIV). Nine electronic databases were used for studies published between January 2015 and November 2024. Eligible quantitative studies were included. A meta-analysis using a random-effects model was used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A systematic review of 45 studies revealed ART adherence rates ranging from 20% to 93.8% (mean: 69.34%), which were primarily assessed via self-reported measures with a 95% threshold for good adherence. The meta-analysis identified significant factors across WHO dimensions affecting adherence. Socioeconomically, older age is associated with poorer ART adherence (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.95), and higher education improved adherence (OR = 3.68, 95% CI: 1.70-7.95), whereas parental death reduced it (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.57). Patient-related factors positively associated with adherence included HIV knowledge (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.82-3.03) and self-efficacy (OR = 2.81, 95% CI: 1.58-4.99), whereas HIV stigma (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.47-0.79) and depression (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.16-3.50 for nonadherence) had negative impacts. Clinical factors benefiting adherence included viral load suppression (OR = 4.28, 95% CI: 1.63-11.26), whereas comorbidities (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.32-0.59) reduced it. Therapy-related barriers included increased pill burden (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.29-0.45) and medication side effects (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.20-0.65). Healthcare system facilitators included positive patient-provider relationships (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.35-2.29) and adult accompaniment (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.32-2.32), whereas barriers included longer travel times (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.39-0.86) and missed appointments (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.31-0.63). Optimal adherence to ART is crucial for achieving effective viral suppression and enhancing the quality of life of youths living with HIV. Understanding the facilitators of and obstacles to ART among YLHIVs could be beneficial in designing interventions to increase ART adherence. CRD42023441441.

BackgroundA large body of evidence suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poorer cognitive functioning and cognitive impairment later in life. Yet, most of the evidence comes from high‐income countries, which often have greater social and healthcare resources and infrastructure to mitigate the effects of ACEs. We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies that examined the association between ACEs and cognitive function/impairment among adults in low and middle‐income countries (LMICs). We also conducted a narrative synthesis of whether and how ACE characteristics, such as frequency, severity, and age at exposure, were included in studies.MethodWe searched four electronic databases from conception until August 2024 for studies investigating the association between individual ACEs and cognitive function and cognitive impairment among older adults in LMICs. Two authors independently screened and performed data extraction and quality assessment for each study. We calculated the pooled estimate using a random‐effects model. We also conducted a sub‐meta‐analysis using studies reporting on the same ACE.ResultOur search yielded 10883 records, of which 13 articles were included in the final meta‐analysis. The most examined ACEs include emotional neglect, parental death, and childhood illness. The pooled effect of ACE on cognitive function was β = ‐0.27 (95% CI ‐0.37, ‐0.16), and on cognitive impairment was OR = 1.12 (95% CI 0.95, 1.32). In sub‐meta‐analyses, parental death (β = ‐0.37; 95% CI ‐0.52, ‐0.22) and emotional neglect (β = ‐0.41; 95% CI ‐0.75, ‐0.08) were associated with poorer cognitive function. We found considerable heterogeneity (I2>75%) in the meta‐analysis for both outcomes. In most studies, ACEs were measured crudely without considering the frequency, severity, or age at exposure.ConclusionACEs are associated with an increased risk of poor cognitive function and impairment in old age in LMICs, consistent with findings from high‐income countries. However, the evidence from LMICs is scanty, with most of the included studies conducted in China. Consideration of key ACE characteristics like frequency, severity and age at exposure remain largely unexamined despite their potential importance. More research in other LMICs considering contextual ACEs is needed to build the evidence base.

Association of family dysfunction childhood adversities and lifetime attempts in men and women.

Parental involvement plays a crucial role in shaping a child’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. However, paternal absence is a growing concern that significantly affects adolescents’ self-esteem, identity formation, and social interactions. This study investigates the effects of paternal absence on the psychosocial development of adolescents in Barangay Tuntungin-Putho, Los Baños, Laguna. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research explores the lived experiences of young adults (aged 19-29) who have grown up without a father figure due to various circumstances such as parental separation, death, incarceration, or migration. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns and themes in their experiences. Findings from this study aim to provide insights into how paternal absence influences adolescents’ psychological well-being, self-concept, and interpersonal relationships. The study seeks to contribute to discussions on family dynamics, child development, and the need for supportive interventions to mitigate the negative consequences of a father’s absence.

Adolescents who attend public schools are more prone to experience behavioral and socio-emotional issues. The main reasons are that most parents send children to public schools when they experience resource constraints, poverty, social upheavals like parental death, divorce, or poor parental literacy levels, as well as unfavorable physical and social conditions at home. The study aim was to examine the prevalence of socio-emotional and behavioral difficulties and determinants among public school adolescents in Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, EthiopiaMethods:Quantitative approach with cross-sectional survey design was applied in the study. Two hundred twenty-one adolescents on the ages of 14 were selected through multilevel probability sampling techniques. Questionnaires were employed as data-gathering instruments and were analyzed through one sample dichotomous procedure and multiple regression. Ethics approval was obtained from University of South Africa. The prevalence rate of composite socio-emotional and behavioral difficulty was 43% (95% CI [36.60%, 49.50%]). Specifically, adolescents who attended classes in public schools tended to have higher prevalence rates of anxious-depressive problem 49.80% (95% CI [43.20%, 56.40%]); somatic complaints 45.30% (95% CI [38.70%, 51.90%); and hyperactivity-attention deficit disorder 44.30% (95% CI [37.70%, 50.95%). Moreover, the findings showed that positive interactions between guardian and adolescents accounted for R2 = 4.90% of the variation in socio-emotional and behavioral wellbeing where β = -.222, p = .001. Additionally, the combined impact of guardian-adolescent interaction and parental life status was R2 = 6.60% where R2 = 4.90% for guardian-adolescent interaction and R2 = 1.70% for parental life status, β = -.361, where β = -.230, p = .001 for positive guardian-adolescent interaction and β = -.131, p = .047 for parental life status. The need of socio-emotional and behavioral support policies and practices in schools and community settings for the youth under the pressure of deprived interaction with their guardians and adolescent who lost their parents.

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the distinction in effects between parental death and parental absence on child stunting and hunger, by investigating regional inequalities in these outcomes in relation to the geography of parental absence, and in relation to the geography of single orphanhood. In addition, the spatial distribution of cash transfers is used to investigate the effect of public and private cash transfers on the health of children who are orphaned or have absent parents. We find that children without fathers, either due to death or absence, are more at risk of being vulnerable to stunting and/or hunger relative to all other children.

Abstract Background National data on the prevalence and characteristics of childhood experiences of domestic violence (EDV), and its relationship with other types of childhood maltreatment and adversity are limited. This study provides the prevalence and characteristics of childhood EDV from a nationally representative sample of Australians aged 16-years and over. Methods Data were drawn from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Prevalence estimates and characteristics (age of onset and cessation, duration, frequency) of four forms of retrospectively reported childhood EDV (physical violence, threats of harm, property damage or harming pets, intimidation or control) by a parent against another parent, were calculated. Associations with four other types of child maltreatment (emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and neglect) were examined, and each model stratified by gender. Prevalence estimates of experiencing eight other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were calculated for those with and without childhood EDV. Results Of the 39.6% of participants reporting childhood EDV, one in five experienced all four forms. Intimidation or control occurred over more years, was more frequent and was more prevalent in mid-late adolescence compared to other forms of EDV, and was associated with the strongest odds for childhood emotional abuse (6-fold-odds for men; 3.3-fold-odds for women). All four other types of child maltreatment and all other ACEs (except parental death) were substantially more common among those with EDV compared to those without. Conclusions Childhood EDV presents an increased risk of other types of maltreatment and adversity in childhood. The findings emphasise the need to advance recognition of children as victims of domestic violence in their own right.

Prior literature has focused on challenges experienced by youth following the death of their parent, but burgeoning research underscores the importance of also examining growth post-loss. Further, Black and African American youth have been historically excluded from the grief literature, despite experiencing high rates of parental death due to discriminatory systems of oppression and violence. Through the lens of the Meaning Making Model of Coping, the current study employed a constructive, phenomenological approach to inductive thematic analysis to explore the narratives of 15 parentally bereaved Black and African American youth ( M age = 13.07, SD = 2.22; 60% female) recruited from a grief therapy center in the Mid-South, United States. Five themes emerged: (1) Missing the Lost Parent, (2) Reconciling with Death, (3) Navigating Life after Loss, (4) No Positive Aspects Identified after Loss, and (5) Rebuilding after Death. Findings suggest that creating space for bereaved youth to openly discuss the death of their parent and the availability of engaged and safe adults were central to growth after loss. This study underscores the complexities of youth bereavement, discusses how the Meaning Making Model of Coping was seen through youth responses, and shows how youth derive meaning from the death of their parent.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively impact health outcomes, including oral health. However, the relationship between ACEs and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has not been thoroughly explored in adult populations. This study aimed to assess the association between ACE exposure and OHRQoL in a population-based sample of adults. The study sample was drawn from the fourth Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4) in Norway and included 6156 adults who answered questions on ACEs and OHRQoL, assessed using the validated 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Six types of ACEs were evaluated: sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, bully victimization, parental divorce, and parental death. The relationship between ACE exposure and OHIP-14 was estimated using negative binomial regression models, adjusting for potential confounders, and presented as a ratio of means (RM) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 36.6% of participants reported experiencing at least one ACE. Those exposed to any ACE had worse OHRQoL, with higher mean OHIP-14 scores than those without ACE (3.46 vs. 2.28, p < 0.001). Exposure to any ACE was linked to higher mean scores across all four subdimensions: oral function, orofacial pain, orofacial appearance, and psychosocial impact. A dose-response relationship was observed, where one additional ACE was associated with an increase in mean OHIP-14 total score (RM 1.21, 95% CI 1.15-1.27). Specific ACEs, excluding parental death, were associated with a 15-58% higher mean total score, indicating a reduced OHRQoL. The findings suggest that exposure to ACEs is linked with poorer OHRQoL in adulthood. These results emphasize the long-lasting association of childhood adversity with oral health and highlight the importance of considering ACEs in the prevention and management of oral health issues among vulnerable populations.

The study examines the impact of COVID-19 on child marriage in four unions from four districts of Chattogram division, Bangladesh, using a qualitative phenomenological approach. Based on in-depth interviews with 60 child brides married before 18 between September and December 2020, the findings reveal that child marriage increased due to poverty, job loss, parental death or separation, social insecurity, school closures, and community breakdown. The study emphasizes the need for strict policy enforcement and government action to address socio-cultural norms. These insights can help in securing human rights and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Children's Experiences of Parental Deaths Due to Suicide, Homicide, Overdose, Alcohol, or Drug Use.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are early negative events that can have lasting consequences on an individual's overall health, including oral health. Since oral health problems are highly prevalent in the population and impact people's daily lives, well-being and quality of life, it is important to identify the main determinants. This study aimed to investigate the role of ACEs on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among adolescents. This cross-sectional analysis is nested within a cohort study initiated in 2010 with preschoolers from southern Brazil. The analysis focused on data from the most recent follow-up, involving adolescents aged 14 to 18years. Data collection covered the period between March and December 2023. ACEs were assessed through the Family Environment Section of the Brazilian version of the Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ), while OHRQoL was evaluated using the short version of Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14). Sociodemographic variables were considered as potential confounders, and associations were analyzed using adjusted Poisson regression models. Results are present in Ratio of Means (RM) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI). A total of 406 adolescents were included in the study. Adolescents exposed to specific ACEs-such as living with someone with substance use problems (RM 1.10; 95%CI 1.01-1.20), with mental illness or suicidal behavior (RM 1.18; 95%CI 1.09-1.27), or incarceration history (RM 1.11; 95%CI 1.01-1.21)-showed higher CPQ11-14 scores. Parental divorce (RM 1.08; 95%CI 1.01-1.16) and parental death (RM 1.37; 95%CI 1.21-1.54) were also associated with poorer OHRQoL. The co-occurrence of ACEs was related with gradual impacts on OHRQoL: adolescents with one, two, or three ACEs presented CPQ11-14 scores 32, 40 and 61% higher (RM:1.32, 1.40, and 1.61, respectively) compared to those without ACEs. The findings demonstrate a consistent association between different ACEs and poorer OHRQoL. The accumulation of multiple ACEs was also associated with a gradual worsening of OHRQoL, emphasizing the consequence of co-occurring adversities.

Associations of adverse childhood experiences and obesity with multimorbidity in middle-aged and older adults in China.