“The effect of a life stage assessment on depression as reported by youth living with HIV in Kenya and Uganda: Results from the SEARCH-Youth Intervention”

Johnson-Peretz J & Mawngwa F, et al. (2025). Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (Special Collection on Adolescent HIV Continuum of Care and Transition: Successes, Challenges, Outcomes, and Interventions)

“I did not feel good at that time, I hated myself inside me. I asked myself, at this age of mine, I am HIV positive, what is my future going to be like? I had so many thoughts. After I started coming here to the clinic, I would meet young people, those who are breast feeding, and those who are older than me. I saw my age-mates; I saw that everyone is affected, and I accepted my situation the way it was. I believed that HIV does not kill, it only kills fools”. (Female, 18 y.o., intervention arm, Uganda)

Synopsis: We conducted a mixed-methods study of youth with HIV aged 15–24 years in SEARCH-Youth, a life-stage-based care model that improved viral suppression during a cluster-randomized trial in rural Uganda and Kenya.
Key Findings: Having any depressive symptoms was less common in the intervention arm (53%) compared to the control (73%), representing a 28% risk reduction (risk ratio: 0.72; CI: 0.59–0.89). Predictors of at least mild depression included pressure to have sex, physical threats, and recent major life events. Longitudinal qualitative research among 113 participants found that supportive counseling from providers helped patients build confidence and coping skills.
​Recommendations: Integrated models of care that address social threats, adverse life events, and social support can be used to reduce depression among adolescents and young adults with HIV by improving patient–provider interactions, facilitating trust, augmenting existing support systems, helping AYAH identify new sources of support, and linking them to additional external resources as appropriate.