Psychosocial support

A grandmother visits her family in Phnom Penh

This section looks at general issues regarding psychosocial support for orphans and other vulnerable children. Other sections look in more detail at the psychosocial effects of HIV/AIDS and various responses to these. Key points about psychosocial support for orphans and other vulnerable children are:

Activities that support orphans and other vulnerable children need to do more than simply meet their physical needs. They also need to address their psychological needs and needs for social interaction. These are termed psychosocial needs.
HIV/AIDS has a wide range of psychosocial effects on children and young people.
There are several important principles for responding effectively to the psychosocial needs of orphans and other vulnerable children. These have been identified from practical experience.
One of the most important of these principles is that children are best cared for in their own communities. Institutions are particularly poor at providing for children's psychosocial needs.
Children living with HIV/AIDS may have particular psychosocial needs. Adults who provide care for orphans and other vulnerable children also have psychosocial needs.

What is Psychosocial Support?

Psychosocial support has been defined as an ongoing process of meeting emotional, social, mental and spiritual needs, all of which are considered essential elements of meaningful and positive human development. It goes beyond simply meeting children's physical needs. It places great emphasis on children's psychological and emotional needs, and their need for social interaction. Many programmes of support for orphans and other vulnerable children have focused almost completely on their physical needs only. Programmes which aim to meet the psychosocial and physical needs of a child are called holistic.

Orphans and other vulnerable children require psychosocial support because of the trauma and stress they have experienced. Trauma is an emotional shock that produces long-lasting, harmful effects on the individual. Parental illness and death are causes of emotional trauma for children and young people. Stress is an emotional condition, experienced or felt when an individual has to cope with unsettling, frustrating or harmful situations. It is a disturbing sense of helplessness, which is uncomfortable and creates uncertainty and self-doubt. Psychosocial support aims to help children and young people cope with emotional trauma and stress.

The Importance of Psychosocial Support

The global strategic framework introduced in 2004 identifies strengthening the capacity of families to protect and care for children as one of five key strategies. Providing psychosocial support is seen as part of that strategy.

Resources

The Importance of Caregiver-child Interactions for the Survival and Healthy Development of Young Children: A Review (Eng)

This review explains the importance of caregiver-child interactions in children's psychosocial development as well as their health and survival.
WHO, Dr Linda Richter, PDF, 106 pages

Horizons Report: Providing Psychosocial Support to AIDS Affected Children (Eng)

This is the Horizon's annual report which is dedicated to global operations research on HIV/AIDS, prevention, care and support. This report specifically focusses on psycho-social support.
The Population Council, PDF, 12, pages

Training programme: Psycho-social support for orphans and vulnerable children - facilitator's manual (Eng)

Provides guidance to prepare adults, guardians, traditional leaders, and other community leaders with knowledge to improve emotional care and support to OVC.
SCOPE OVC, March 04, PDF, 684kb, 151 pages

Building Blocks: Asia: Care and psychosocial support (Eng)

This is one in a series of seven 'Building Blocks: Asia' publications. It explores the psychosocial support needs of orphans and other vulnerable children in Asia.
International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2006, PDF, 26 pages, 404 kb

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Psychosocial Support for Children Affected by AIDS: Practical responses from Zimbabwe and Tanzania (Eng)

This paper discusses the psychosocial needs of children affected by HIV and AIDS using examples of projects from Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
Stefan Germann, Kurt Madörin, Ncazelo Ncube, 2001, word, 3 pages, 51 kb

Where the heart is: Meeting the psychosocial needs of young children in the context of HIV/AIDS (Eng)

This is an opinion piece developed through a series of four workshops organised by the Bernard van Leer Foundation entitled “On the Road to Toronto.” It includes a call to action to address the psychological wellbeing of all vulnerable children.
Bernard van Leer Foundation, Linda Richter, Geoff Foster and Lorraine Sherr, 2006, PDF, 60 pages, 1950kb

A Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Living in a World with HIV/AIDS (Eng)

This framework is based on lessons learned over many years. It considers families and communities as the foundation of an effective, scaled-up response.
UNICEF, 2004, PDF, 23 pages, 397 kb.

Building Blocks: Africa-wide Briefing Notes: Psychosocial support (Eng)

This is one in a series of six 'Building Blocks' publications. It seeks to explore the psychosocial support need that orphans and other vulnerable children have.
International HIV/AIDS Alliance, 2003, PDF, 24 pages, 387 kb.

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Building Blocks: Africa-wide Briefing Notes: Psychosocial support (Fre)

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Building Blocks: Africa-wide Briefing Notes: Psychosocial support (Por)

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Investing in our Future: Psychosocial Support for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (Eng)

This UNAIDS report, through providing examples of successful interventions being undertaken by organisations in these two countries, aims to share experiences and lessons learned in order to stimulate new awareness of needs and to open new doors for action.
Fox, S., UNAIDS, 2001, PDF, 77 pages, 435 kb.

Investir dans notre Avenir: Le Soutien Psychosocial aux Enfants Affectés par le VIH/SIDA (Fr)

Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children: What Role for Social Protection? (Eng)

This report on a workshop held in Washington in 2001 starts by stating that the effects of HIV/AIDS on children globally represents an unprecedented crisis and argues for it to be approached through a social protection framework.
Levine, A., World Bank, 2001,
PDF, 54 pages, 196 kb.

Vulnerable Children in Zambia: A Psychological Perspective (Eng)

This paper was presented at a conference in Uppsala in 2001 and draws on two research projects both carried out in Lusaka, Zambia.
Poulter, C., 2001, PDF, 17 pages, 94 kb.

Psychological Well-being of Orphans in Dar El Salaam, Tanzania (Eng)

This paper reports the results of a study carried out in Tanzania and compared 41 orphans with 41 matched non-orphans.
Makame, V., Ani, C. and Grantham-McGregor, C., Centre for International Child Health, PDF, 9 pages, 162 kb.

Psychosocial Support of Children Affected by AIDS (Eng)

This brief paper argues for programmes working with orphans and vulnerable children to adopt an holistic approach which caters for a variety of needs including material needs, psychosocial needs and needs for skills training.
Germann, S., Masiye Camp, PDF, 3 pages, 138 kb.

First Eastern and Southern Africa Regional "Thinktank" on Psychosocial Support for Children Affected by AIDS: Voices for Advocacy on Psychosocial Support for Children Affected by AIDS (Eng)

This document is a report of a workshop held in Zimbabwe in August 2001, which brought together 50 participants from 9 different countries in East and Southern Africa.
2001, PDF, 6 pages, 480 kb.

Psychosocial Support for Children Affected by AIDS: Practical Responses from Zimbabwe and Tanzania (Eng)

This document's starting point is that children who nurse their dying parents and watch them die are at risk of psychological trauma unless they receive adequate support.
Germann, S., Madorin, K. and Ncube, N., Salvation Army/Terre des Hommes, 2001, PDF, 3 pages, 123 kb.

Children Orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Zambia: Social and Economic Risk Factors of Premature Parental Death (Eng)

This study aimed to identify factors which increased the risk or protected orphans from the psychosocial consequences of parental death.
Nampanya-Serpell, N., 2001, PDF, 28 pages, 102 kb.

2002 East and Southern Africa Regional Workshop on Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: Implementing the UNGASS Goals for Orphans and Other Children Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS; 25-29 November 2002; Windhoek, Namibia (Eng)

This is the report of a workshop which brought together stakeholders in East and Southern Africa to reinforce awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and their caregivers and to build commitment to action particularly at the government level.
Loudon, M., UNICEF, USAID, SIDA, NORAD, International Save the Children Alliance, UNAIDS, FHI, Government of Namibia, 2002, PDF, 46 pages, 802 kb.

Nkundabana Initiative for Psychosocial Support (NIPS): A Participatory Approach to Identification of Nkundabana (Mentors):User's Guide (Eng)

This document from NIPS is for identifying community mentors (Nkundabana) who will assume the role of a parental replacement to child headed households in Rwandan society. It is partly in English and partly in French.
Care International, Rwanda,
PDF,
5 pages,
409 kb.

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Care for Children Infected and Those Affected by HIV/AIDS: A Handbook for Community Health Workers (Eng)

This handbook about children infected and those affected by HIV/AIDS is for carers of these children, community health workers, and also people living with HIV/AIDS who can use this as a source of information.
Save the Children, Uganda Ministry of Health, 2003, PDF, 93 pages, 2091 kb.

Understanding the Needs of Orphans and other Children Affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa: The State of the Science (Eng)

This review was undertaken to summarize the findings that represent the most up-to-date understanding of issues affecting orphans and other vulnerable children.
Birdthistle, I., AED/USAID, 2004, PDF, 42 pages, 2637 kb.

SCOPE and Family Health International Orphans and Vulnerable Children Baseline Survey, Psychosocial Interviews with Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Questionnaire for 06-12 Year Olds (Eng)

This is a questionnaire from the SCOPE programme in Zambia for use with children aged 6-12 years.
FHI/SCOPE/USAID, 2001, PDF, 9 pages, 494 kb.

SCOPE and Family Health International Orphans and Vulnerable Children Baseline Survey, Psychosocial Interviews with Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Questionnaire for 13-18 Year Olds (Eng)

This is a questionnaire from the SCOPE programme in Zambia for use with adolescents aged 13-18 years.
FHI/SCOPE/USAID, 2001, PDF, 23 pages, 1247 kb.

Building Resilience in Children Affected by HIV/AIDS (Eng)

Building Resilience in Children Affected by HIV/AIDS is a 150-page guide to psychosocial support for children. Its eight chapters are designed to help parents, caregivers and teachers understand children who are caring for a sick parent or who have lost a parent. It provides practical advice on supporting children who have experienced loss, and suggests helpful discussions and games.
Sr Silke-Andrea Mallmann CPS, Catholic AIDS Action, Namibia, PDF, 162 pages, 5.6 MB.

The Regional Psychosocial Support Initiative (Eng)

This website gives details about REPSSI, its vision and the partners with which it works.