Community‐Based Caregiver and Family Interventions to Support the Mental Health of Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Review and Future Directions

Abstract

The goal of this paper was to conduct a review of studies from 2008 to 2019 that evaluated community‐based caregiver or family interventions to support the mental health of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in sub‐Saharan Africa, across four domains: (a) study methodology, (b) cultural adaptation and community participation, (c) intervention strategies, and (d) effects on child mental health. Ten interventions were identified. Findings revealed that the majority of studies used a randomized controlled trial or quasi‐experimental design, but few conducted long‐term follow‐up; that all programs undertook cultural adaptation of the intervention using community participatory methods, or were locally developed; that the majority of interventions targeted caregiving behavior and/or caregiver–child relationships using behavioral and cognitive‐behavioral strategies, or were home visiting interventions; and that interventions had mixed effects on OVC mental health. Progress and gaps revealed by these findings are discussed, as are suggestions for possible new directions in this area of intervention science.

The Influence of Disney Musical Practice Course on the Mental Health of Chinese Left-Behind Children from the Perspective of Art Communication

“…In primary school music teaching, students can listen to music by creating their melody in a comfortable environment through music practice. It can fully extend the core values of general music class and cultivate the students' enthusiasm and initiative [ 32 , 33 ].…”

Intervention effect of group counseling on social support and post-stress growth of orphans and vulnerable children in China

“…Fan and He (2016) discovered that group counseling can work as an intervention to prevent the development of severe mental illness. Group counseling has consistently been shown to increase SSU and PSG of OVC ( Fawzi et al, 2012 ; Sitienei and Pillay, 2019 ; Penner et al, 2020 ). Group counseling is a tool in which several OVC participate in social intervention and psychological therapy (SSGPC) to help them change or deal with a long-term problem they are experiencing, guided by a therapist or counselor ( Gidron, 2020 ).…”

Suubi4StrongerFamilies: A study protocol for a clustered randomized clinical trial addressing child behavioral health by strengthening financial stability and parenting among families in Uganda

“…Economic empowerment interventions directly target family financial stability and investment in the protection of children via: (1) incentivized matched Child Development Accounts (CDAs), (2) financial literacy training (FLT) and income-generating activities (IGAs) for families, and (3) mentorship. In addition, family strengthening interventions can positively impact CBH in SSA (27)(28)(29). Although scientists continue to disentangle the effects of culture and context on parenting and childhood DBDs across SSA, it is well recognized that the basic principles (e.g., behavioral supports, parent-child relationships, and involvement) underlying effective parenting practices are considered cross-culturally robust and play a critical role in child behavioral health (30)(31)(32).…”