Publications by authors named "Joanie Mitchell"
Article Synopsis
- The Amagugu intervention aimed to improve health literacy among HIV-positive mothers, leading to better communication about HIV and related health topics with their children.
- A study involving 281 mothers showed overwhelming demand for more educational materials, with many reporting increased discussions around safety, health, and sexual abuse after using the intervention.
- The results suggest that parent-led health education at home is effective and should be further explored in controlled studies as part of HIV prevention strategies.
Article Synopsis
- There is a lack of research on how children in regions affected by HIV understand death, particularly after mothers disclose their HIV status to them.
- In a study involving 281 HIV-infected mothers and their children (ages 6-10), researchers found that many children asked about death-related topics, focusing on threats, implications, and seeking clarifications.
- Results indicated that children’s concerns were linked to their mother's disclosure approach and emotional response, with improvements in their behavioral issues noted post-intervention, though no significant changes in total problem scores were observed.
Article Synopsis
- * Many children of HIV-positive parents face challenges during middle childhood and adolescence, including stigma and lack of health education, leading to potential psychological and social issues in the absence of parent-led discussions about health.
- * The Amagugu intervention, a home-based program delivered by lay counselors, has proven effective in supporting parents to disclose their HIV status and educate their children, resulting in increased disclosure rates, better mental health outcomes, and improved healthcare engagement and planning for affected children.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem of epidemic proportions, affecting a third of women across the globe and as many as 60% in heavily affected regions of Africa. There is strong evidence that risk of IPV is heightened in HIV-infected women, and emerging evidence linking experiencing IPV and/or HIV to a higher likelihood of experiencing mental health problems. This triple burden makes women in Africa, living in the epicentre of HIV, all the more vulnerable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn South Africa, rates of adoption remain low while the number of fostered children continually rises. Little is known about the public perceptions, beliefs and experiences that inform decisions to either foster or adopt in South Africa. This qualitative research explored these issues among a national sample of childless adults, biological parents, kin and non-kin fostering parents and prospective and successful adopters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Increasingly, HIV-infected parents are surviving to nurture their children. Parental HIV disclosure is beneficial, but disclosure rates to younger children remain low. Previously, we demonstrated that the 'Amagugu' intervention increased disclosure to young children; however, effects on psychological outcomes have not been examined in detail.
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