Abstract #26  -  Traumatic events, mental health, and positive future orientation among children affected by AIDS in rural China
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Dr. Xiaoming Li - Wayne State University School of Medicine
Additional Authors:  Dr. Jintao Zhang, Dr. Yan Hong, Dr. Xiaoyi Fang,
Aim: Background/Objective: The number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS worldwide was estimated at 15 million in 2003 and could reach 25 million by 2010 and 40 million by 2020. There are limited studies on the traumatic events and its relationship to psychological well-being among these children in developing countries including China, where between 250,000 and 350,000 children were estimated to be orphaned by AIDS by 2010. Many of the Chinese AIDS orphans known to the public are living in Henan Province, where clusters of farmers were infected with HIV through unhygienic blood collection in 1980s-1990s. Previous studies suggested a high prevalence of traumatic events among children affected by AIDS in China. However, no study has examined the risk and protective factors that can either aggravate or mitigate the negative impact of such traumatic experience on children. This study was designed to examine the role of childrenĄ¯s future orientation in mediating the effect of traumatic events on their mental health.
Method / Issue: Design/Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 755 AIDS orphans and 466 vulnerable children living with HIV-infected parents in 2006 in Henan, China. Life traumatic events were measured using a modified version of Life Incidence of Traumatic Events-Student Form (LITE-S). Measures of mental health consist of depression, loneliness, and self-esteem. Measures of future orientation include future expectation, hopefulness, and perceived control over future. Mediation analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with LISREL V8.70.
Results / Comments: Results: Compared to vulnerable children, AIDS orphans scored higher on traumatic indicators, all three indicators of future orientation, and depression, and lower on loneliness and self-esteem. Most of traumatic indicators were negatively associated with future expectation, hopefulness, control, and self-esteem, whereas positively associated with depression and loneliness. The structural equation model of mediation effect demonstrated an adequate fit. The results showed that future orientation fully mediated the relationship between traumatic events and mental health by accounting for 67.9% of the total effect of traumatic events on mental health.
Discussion: Discussion: Results of this study highlight the role of future expectation in mediating the relationship between traumatic events and mental health among children affected by HIV/AIDS in China. The future health promotion and intervention efforts to improve mental health status of children affected by AIDS should foster childrenĄ¯ positive and realistic future expectations, increase their hopefulness towards future, and improve their control beliefs for future.
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