34 Understanding disruptive behaviours in adolescents living with HIV – a cross-sectional study from coastal south India

2021 
Background Perinatally infected neonates are surviving into adulthood with an impact on mental and emotional health. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are a few of the common disruptive behavioral disorders in childhood, which have been found to have a higher prevalence amongst HIV infected children. Objectives The objectives of this study were to assess the proportion of ADHD and ODD in adolescents aged 10–19 years living with HIV/AIDS by using SNAP IV 26 Item Teacher and Parent Scale and to find the association between duration of treatment, CD4 count, stage of the disease and socio-demographic details with ADHD and ODD. Methods 88 adolescents aged 10–19 years living with HIV/AIDS were included in the study. The Swanson, Nolan Pelham (SNAP-IV) scale was administered to the caretakers, and children were assessed for the proportion of ADHD/ODD. Association between those who scored positive on the questionnaire with a duration of treatment, CD4 count, stage of the disease, and socio-demographic variables was done using the chi-square test and unpaired t-test. Results Our study population included 88 participants, out of whom 9 scored positive in the inattention subset resulting in a proportion of 10.2%. 5 participants had symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity resulting in a proportion of 5.6%, and 1 had combined symptoms with a proportion of 1.1%. 13 scored positive in the opposition/defiant subset resulting in a proportion of 14.7%. All the participants who scored positive for ADHD and ODD were observed to live in care-homes. No statistical significance was found between treatment duration, CD4 count, stage of the disease, socio-demographic variables, and ADHD/ODD. Conclusions The proportion of ADHD and ODD in this study was found to be comparable to the general population. A holistic approach to improve the long-term health of these youth is needed to ensure that our success in achieving the survival of HIV-infected children from infancy is maintained into adulthood.
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