Social Maladaptation of Teenagers with HIV Through Discontinuation of Antiretroviral Therapy

Vadym Liutyi, Tetiana Liakh, Svitlana Sapiga, Maryna Lekholetova, Tetiana Spirina, Natalia Klishevich, Zhanna Petrochko

Vadym Liutyi received a doctorate in social pedagogy. Vadym is currently an associate professor at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine. His scientific research concerns the prevention of negative social phenomena, deviant and risky behavior of children and young people; monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of social projects and services in the field of social work.

Tetiana Liakh received a doctorate in social pedagogy. Tetiana is currently the head of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine. Her research concerns the social advocacy and social prevention; social support for families affected by HIV/AIDS; monitoring and evaluation of social programmes and projects; assessing the quality of social services.

Svitlana Sapiga received a doctorate in social pedagogy. She works as a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine. Her research interests are related to the study of the development of the personal potential of adolescents in Scout public associations; the quality of social services for people with disabilities and adolescents living with HIV.

Maryna Lekholetova received a doctorate in social pedagogy. Currently, she works as a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine. Her research concerns the development of professional competencies of social workers; the formation of healthpreserving competencies of future social educators; social advocacy; researching the problems of parents raising children with disabilities.

Tetiana Spirina received a doctorate in pedagogical sciences. She is currently an associate professor at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine. Her research interest is related to the ethics of socio-pedagogical activities and the professional culture of social workers; principles of interdisciplinary interaction in social work; social support for families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Natalia Klishevich received a doctorate in social pedagogy. She works as an associate professor at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work and Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine. Her research interests relate to the social prevention of family distress in the local community; analysis of foreign practices of combating domestic violence; social and pedagogical activities with children and youth in Ukraine.

Zhanna Petrochko received doctorate in social pedagogy. Zhanna is currently a professor at the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, Ukraine. Her research concerns the formation of Social Success and Life Optimism in Pupils in Crisis Conditions; motivation of prosocial behaviour of adolescents; study of the effectiveness of gender education in Ukraine as an implementation of the principle of gender parity.

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article is to identify the causes of antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption by teenagers and to come up with preventive solutions. THEORETICAL BASE: The article is theoretically based on international and Ukrainian studies of adherence to ART formation. METHODS: HIV-positive young men and girls aged 14-19 years took part in the survey. The data were collected by defining focus groups and a Google-form questionnaire. OUTCOMES: It was found that ART influences self-perception, behaviour, communication, lifestyle and identity of a teenager living with HIV, thus affecting the context of their socialization. The factors that lead to discontinuation of ART by adolescents (inconvenient treatment plans, side effects, non-acceptance of diagnosis and restrictions, incomplete information on ART and unreliable sources of such information, conflicts with parents and stigmatization of children living with HIV) were identified. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Training parents and health care workers to be able to explain to the child the peculiarities of ART; training children in life skills with regard to their HIV status and ART; teaching parents the communication skills to deal with teenagers; setting up support groups for children and their parents; organizing support campaigns in communities to counteract stigmatization; providing social services to families of children living with HIV.

Keywords
HIV, teenagers, socialization of children living with HIV, prevention of HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART), adherence to ART

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