The VUKA family program: Piloting a family-based psychosocial intervention to promote health and mental health among HIV infected early adolescents in South Africa

TLDR

In South Africa, many adolescents born with HIV are on antiretroviral therapy and face complex coping challenges, yet few evidence‑based mental‑health and health‑promotion programs exist for this group, prompting the development of a family‑based intervention building on the earlier CHAMP program. The study aimed to develop, assess feasibility and acceptability, and evaluate short‑term psychosocial impact of the VUKA family‑based program for HIV+ preadolescents and their caregivers. Using a community‑based participatory approach, the pilot randomized controlled trial delivered a 10‑session, 3‑month family intervention to 65 preadolescents aged 10‑13 and their families at two hospitals. Participants showed improvements across mental health, behavior, HIV treatment knowledge, stigma, communication, and medication adherence, indicating that VUKA is a promising family‑based mental‑health and HIV‑prevention program that could be delivered by trained lay staff.

Abstract

An increasing number of adolescents born with HIV in South Africa are on antiretroviral treatment and have to confront complex issues related to coping with a chronic, stigmatizing and transmittable illness. Very few evidence-based mental health and health promotion programs for this population exist in South Africa. This study builds on a previous collaboratively designed and developmentally timed family-based intervention for early adolescents (CHAMP). The study uses community-based participatory approach as part of formative research to evaluate a pilot randomized control trial at two hospitals. The paper reports on the development, feasibility, and acceptability of the VUKA family-based program and its short-term impact on a range of psychosocial variables for HIV + preadolescents and their caregivers. A 10-session intervention of approximately 3-month duration was delivered to 65 preadolescents aged 10-13 years and their families. VUKA participants were noted to improve on all dimensions, including mental health, youth behavior, HIV treatment knowledge, stigma, communication, and adherence to medication. VUKA shows promise as a family-based mental and HIV prevention program for HIV + preadolescents and which could be delivered by trained lay staff.