• Dr. Priyanka Kacker
• Krupa Nishar
• George Felix

Trauma is an internalised damaging impact in response to an external threatening event. Society often overlooks the significant effects of trauma in HIV+ children. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) attacks the immune system, the body's natural defense system. The last stage of HIV infection is AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). This research focuses on traumatic effects of HIV: depression and anxiety which can trigger severe responses, affecting the children in physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural aspects. The study surveyed 31 HIV+ male children from Gujarat, India, who had contracted the virus through Mother-To-Child-Transmission (MTCT). The Children’s Depression Inventory-2 was used to access severity of depressive symptoms and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) was used to identify symptoms of various anxiety disorders. The results concluded that 25 out of 31 (80.65%) participants showed statistically significant positive symptoms of depression. All participants also showed statistically significant positive symptoms of anxiety. The findings also necessitate the urgency for mental health professionals to manage and treat symptoms of depression and anxiety in this sample. This research can be used by NGOs, Government hospitals, orphanages, and special care homes to improve the mental health of HIV+ children.

HIV, trauma, children, depression, anxiety, intervention

"Trauma-Related Effects and Interventions for HIV+ Paediatric ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 1, page no.358-368, January-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1901A45.pdf

"Trauma-Related Effects and Interventions for HIV+ Paediatric ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 1, page no. pp358-368, January-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1901A45.pdf