Introduction: We developed an 18‐month Happy Teen 2 (HT2) programme comprised of a one‐day workshop, two half‐day sessions, and three individual sessions to prepare HIV‐infected youth for the transition from paediatric to adult HIV care services. We describe the programme and evaluate the change in youth's knowledge scores.Methods: We implemented the HT2 programme among HIV‐infected Thai youth aged 14–22 years who were aware of their HIV status and receiving care at two hospitals in Bangkok (Siriraj Hospital, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health [QSNICH]). Staff interviewed youth using a standardized questionnaire to assess HIV and health‐related knowledge at baseline and at 12 and 18 months while they participated in the programme. We examined factors associated with a composite knowledge score ≥95% at month 18 using logistic regression.Results: During March 2014–July 2016, 192 of 245 (78%) eligible youth were interviewed at baseline. Of these, 161 (84%) returned for interviews at 12 and 18 months. Among the 161 youth, the median age was 17 years, 74 (46%) were female, and 99% were receiving antiretroviral treatment. The median composite score was 45% at baseline and increased to 82% at 12 months and 95% at 18 months (P < 0.001). The range of median knowledge scores for antiretroviral management, HIV monitoring, HIV services, and family planning significantly increased from baseline (range 0–75%) to (range 67–100%) at 12 months and to 100% at 18 months (P < 0.001). Almost all youth were able to describe education and career goals at 12 and 18 months compared to 75% at baseline. In multivariable analysis, a composite knowledge score at 18 months >95% was associated with education level >high school (aOR: 2.15, 95%CI, 1.03–4.48) and receipt care at QSNICH (aOR: 2.43, 95%CI, 1.18–4.98). Youth whose mother and father had died were less likely to have score ≥95% (aOR: 0.22, 95%CI, 0.07–0.67) than those with living parents.Conclusions: Knowledge useful for a successful transition from paediatric to adult HIV care increased among youth participating in the HT2 programme. Youth follow‐up will continue to assess the impact of improved knowledge on outcomes following the transition to adult care services.

While disclosure of HIV status to perinatally HIV-infected children has become an increasingly important clinical issue, specific disclosure guidelines are lacking. We developed a pediatric HIV diagnosis disclosure model to support caretakers. All HIV-infected children greater than 7-years-old at two participating hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand, and their caretakers, were offered disclosure according to the 4-step protocol: (1) screening; (2) readiness assessment; (3) disclosure; and (4) follow-up. Disclosure occurred after agreement of both providers and caretakers. Among 438 children who were screened, 398 (89%) were eligible. Readiness assessment was completed for 353 (91%) of eligible children and 216 (61%) were determined ready. Disclosure was done for 186 children. The mean age at eligibility screening was 10.5 years (range: 6.8-15.8 years); the mean age at disclosure was 11.7 years (range: 7.6-17.7 years). The mean duration between eligibility screening and disclosure was 15.2 months. There were no significant negative behavioral or emotional outcomes reported in children following disclosure. This HIV diagnosis disclosure model was feasible to implement and had no negative outcomes. As the time for preparation process was over 1 year for most cases, the disclosure process can be initiated as early as age 7 to allow enough time for disclosure to be completed by the age of adolescence.

We developed an intervention program for HIV-infected Thai adolescents with two group sessions and two individual sessions, focusing on four strategies: health knowledge, coping skills, sexual risk reduction, and life goals. An audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) was administered to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antiretroviral therapy management, reproductive health, and HIV-associated risk behavior. The program was implemented in two HIV clinics; 165 (84%) adolescents (intervention group) participated in the program; 32 (16%) completed the ACASI without participating in the group or individual sessions (nonintervention group). The median age was 14 years, and 56% were female. Baseline KAP scores of the intervention and nonintervention groups were similar. Two months after the intervention, knowledge and attitude scores increased (p <.01) in the intervention group, and the increase was sustained at 6 months. KAP scores did not change from baseline in the nonintervention group at 6 or 12 months after enrollment.

More than 30% of perinatally HIV-infected children in Thailand are 12 years and older. As these youth become sexually active, there is a risk that they will transmit HIV to their partners. Data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of HIV-infected youth in Thailand are limited. Therefore, we assessed the KAP of perinatally HIV-infected youth and youth reporting sexual risk behaviors receiving care at two tertiary care hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand and living in an orphanage in Lopburi, Thailand. From October 2010 to July 2011, 197 HIV-infected youth completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview to assess their KAP regarding antiretroviral (ARV) management, reproductive health, sexual risk behaviors, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A majority of youth in this study correctly answered questions about HIV transmission and prevention and the importance of taking ARVs regularly. More than half of the youth in this study demonstrated a lack of family planning, reproductive health, and STI knowledge. Girls had more appropriate attitudes toward safe sex and risk behaviors than boys. Although only 5% of the youth reported that they had engaged in sexual intercourse, about a third reported sexual risk behaviors (e.g., having or kissing boy/girlfriend or consuming an alcoholic beverage). We found low condom use and other family planning practices, increasing the risk of HIV and/or STI transmission to sexual partners. Additional resources are needed to improve reproductive health knowledge and reduce risk behavior among HIV-infected youth in Thailand.

Summary A provider-assisted, counseling-based, pediatric HIV disclosure model was developed and implemented at two tertiary-care hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand. All undisclosed perinatally acquired HIV-infected children, ages 7–18 years, and their caretakers were offered the four-step disclosure service, including: screening, readiness assessments and preparation, disclosure sessions, and follow-up evaluations. To assess psychosocial outcomes of disclosure, we compared the scores of the Children Depression Inventory and the PedsQL 4.0™ at baseline and at 2-month and 6-month follow-up visits, and compared the scores of the Child Behavioral Checklist at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. Disclosure was made to 186 children, 160 of whom completed post-disclosure assessments. The median Children’s Depression Inventory score in 135 children decreased significantly from 11 at baseline to 8 at 2-month and 6-month follow-up (p < 0.01). The median PedsQL 4.0™ scores in 126 children increased significantly from 78 at baseline to 80 at 2-month and 84 at 6-month follow-up (p = 0.04). The median Child Behavioral Checklist scores were not significantly changed. In conclusion, pediatric HIV diagnosis disclosure using this model was found to have positive effect on the children’s mood and quality of life, and no negative effect on children’s behaviours. This disclosure program should be expanded to improve psychosocial health of HIV-infected children.

Identifying psychosocial needs of perinatally HIV-infected (pHIV) youth is a key step in ensuring good mental health care. We report psychosocial needs of pHIV youth identified using the “Youth Counseling Needs Survey” (YCS) and during individual counseling (IC) sessions. pHIV youth receiving care at two tertiary-care hospitals in Bangkok or at an orphanage in Lopburi province were invited to participate IC sessions. The youths’ psychosocial needs were assessed using instructive IC sessions in four main areas: general health, reproductive health, mood, and psychosocial concerns. Prior to the IC session youth were asked to complete the YCS in which their concerns in the four areas were investigated. Issues identified from the YCS and the IC sessions were compared. During October 2010–July 2011, 150 (68.2%) of 220 eligible youths participated in the IC sessions and completed the YCS. Median age was 14 (range 11–18) years and 92 (61.3%) were female. Mean duration of the IC sessions was 36.5 minutes. One-hundred and thirty (86.7%) youths reported having at least one psychosocial problem discovered by either the IC session or the YCS. The most common problems identified during the IC session were poor health attitude and self-care (48.0%), lack of life skills (44.0%), lack of communication skills (40.0%), poor antiretroviral (ARV) adherence (38.7%), and low self-value (34.7%). The most common problems identified by the YCS were lack of communication skills (21.3%), poor health attitude and self-care (14.0%), and poor ARV adherence (12.7%). Youth were less likely to report psychosocial problems in the YCS than in the IC session. Common psychosocial needs among HIV-infected youth were issues about life skills, communication skills, knowledge on self-care, ARV adherence, and self-value. YCS can identify pHIV youths’ psychosocial needs but might underestimate issues. Regular IC sessions are useful to detect problems and provide opportunities for counseling.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate adverse effects associated with risperidone in 45 children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), aged 2–15 years, who were treated at Siriraj Hospital, Thailand, between the years 2006 and 2007. Adverse effects were assessed by parent interview, using a semistructure questionnaire, and medical records review. The mean ± SD age of the children at starting risperidone was 8.15 ± 2.98 years. The mean ± SD of risperidone dose was 0.94 ± 0.74 mg/day and the mean ± SD duration of treatment was 36.8 ± 27.8 months. Adverse effects were reported in 39 children (86.7%). Common adverse effects included increased appetite, somnolence, and rhinorrhea and most of the adverse effects were tolerable. Tardive dyskinesia or other serious adverse events were not found in this study. The child's mean ± SD weight gain was 4.18 ± 2.82 kg/year, which exceeded developmentally expected norms. The results from this study suggest that risperidone treatment in children with ASD is associated with frequent mild and tolerable adverse effects. However, excessive weight gain could be found to be a concerning adverse effect and weight monitoring is warranted when risperidone is being prescribed.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Thai Quality of Life in Children (ThQLC) and compare it with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™ 4.0) in a sample of children receiving long-term HIV care in Thailand.MethodsThe ThQLC and the PedsQL™ 4.0 were administered to 292 children with HIV infection aged 8–16 years. Clinical parameters such as the current viral load, CD4 percent, and clinical staging were obtained by medical record review.ResultsThree out of five ThQLC scales and three out of four PedsQL™ 4.0 scales had acceptable internal consistency reliability (i.e., Cronbach’s alpha >0.70). Cronbach’s alpha values of each scale ranged from 0.52 to 0.75 and 0.57 to 0.75 for the ThQLC and the PedsQL™ 4.0, respectively. Corresponding scales (physical functioning, emotional well-being, social functioning, and school functioning) of the ThQLC and the PedsQL™ 4.0 correlated substantially with one another (r = 0.47, 0.67, 0.59 and 0.56, respectively). Both ThQLC and PedsQL™ 4.0 overall scores significantly correlated with the child’s self-rated severity of the illness (r = −0.23 for the ThQLC and −0.28 for the PedsQL™ 4.0) and the caregiver’s rated overall quality of life (r = 0.07 for the ThQLC and 0.13 for the PedsQL™ 4.0). The overall score of the ThQLC correlated with clinical and immunologic categories of the United State-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC) classification system (r = −0.12), while the overall score of the PedsQL™ 4.0 significantly correlated with the number of disability days (r = −0.12) and CD4 percent (r = −0.15). However, the overall score from both instruments were not significantly different by clinical stages of HIV disease. A multitrait-multimethod analysis results demonstrated that the average convergent validity and off-diagonal correlations were 0.58 and 0.45, respectively. Discriminant validity was partially supported with 62% of validity diagonal correlations exceeding correlations between different domains (discriminant validity successes). The Hays-Hayashi MTMM quality index was 0.61. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that the ThQLC physical functioning scale provided unique information in predicting child self-rated severity of the illness and overall quality of life beyond that explained by the PedsQL™ 4.0 in Thai children with HIV infection.ConclusionsWe found evidence in support of the reliability and validity of the ThQLC and the PedsQL™ 4.0 for measuring the health-related quality of life of Thai children with HIV infection.