Marseille 2007
| Abstract #155 - Need for dialogue in talking to children and adolescents living with HIV AIDS. The French Red Cross experience in the Day Care Centre in the Republic of Congo | ||||
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Session: 6.31: Posters A (Poster) on Monday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Mr BITSINDOU PARFAIT - CROIX-ROUGE FRANCAISE, Congo |
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| Additional Authors: MD Patrick Nzounza, MD Merlin Diafouka, Dr Blandine Sibille, MD Tuan Tran-Minh, MD Christian Mouala, Mr Guillaume Adam, | ||||
| Aim: Since 1994, in the Republic of Congo, the French Red Cross operates two Day Care Centres for HIV infection, as well as a programme of prevention aimed specifically at transmission of the virus from mothers to children. Within this context, the teams discovered that infected children and adolescents are not included in any ongoing treatment regime. At this time, no infrastructure or strategy has been developed for youth. Having noted the absence of activities directed at the psychosocial and educative care of this population, the team studied what innovative strategies could be possible in this domain. In January 2006, the first Support Group for children and adolescents was created. This has since then been extended. The activities take into account the intrinsic realities for this population, such as the changes linked to age development and growth. Create a Support Group for children and adolescents seen and followed in the Day Care Centres. These Support Groups have as their aim, psychosocial support for this population as well as providing a place for exchange about all factors related their condition. These factors include: - how to discuss HIV - when and how to best announce a diagnostic of HIV - how to set-up strategies for adhering, in the best manner possible, to the treatment regime. | ||||
| Method / Issue: Murrays Thematic Aperception Test (TAT), created in 1943, has been used to measure the populations motivations and emotional state. For this, 4 images are presented and the children and adolescents are asked to imagine a history with a beginning, middle and end. The time to look at each image takes around two minutes. In order to encourage an atmosphere which encourages participation, the children have a small snack and access to play materials that allow them to draw and play around the themes. | ||||
| Results / Comments: The age range is from 9 to 17 years and the sex ratio is 1,16. In the course of these Support Group sessions, the children and adolescents learn more about their HIV condition from their questions and consequent discussions. These meetings allow them to ask questions about the illness, medical care, medication and any other relevant problem that preoccupies them. The sessions also allow a relationship between the medical team, carers and the youth to grow and develop as well as to allow a space where new, improved strategies, more adapted to this populations needs can be developed, especially around the subject of announcing seroposivity and the illness. | ||||
| Discussion: During these Support Group sessions, the children and adolescents are able to project themselves into the stories that unfold and to start to recognise their situation. They are able to perceive that their situation is valuable and important for the medical team with the subsequent result of feeling less abandoned and more able, little by little to take an active part in their treatment plan and lifestyle. It is necessary to underline that a real need exists within this population and yet, at the moment, is not addressed. This abstract shows the result of an initial attempt to develop a guideline. | ||||
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