The intersection between HIV and mental health is a critical yet often overlooked area within global health. The relationship between the two is bi-directional: poor mental health significantly increases the risk of HIV infection, while living with HIV dramatically heightens the likelihood of developing mental health issues.
Research shows that up to 62% of people living with HIV experience common mental health issues, including depression and anxiety disorders. Additionally, people with pre-existing mental health conditions are 2.5 times more likely to contract HIV. These concurrent conditions pose significant barriers to accessing HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services, leading to worsened health outcomes for those affected.
"Self-care and mental health are crucial components of overall well-being. The You(th) Care and Youth Wise Consortiums advocate for youth-driven approaches to directly address these needs. We aim to create a supportive environment where young changemakers can advocate for their own health. This contributes to the increasing global demand for youth-centred solutions that promote autonomy, self-care, and psychological well-being."Ivy Jebet
Junior Programs Officer at Y+ Global
Following a mental health session at the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany, Y+ Global, United for Global Mental Health, and its partners under the Youth Wise project organised a follow-up webinar on September 18 to highlight ongoing efforts to ensure the integration of mental health support within HIV programming.
Youth Wise is a youth—and women-led project led by Y+ Global and supported by Aidsfonds in collaboration with networks of young people living with HIV in Malawi and Kenya. The Consortium is dedicated to addressing these complex challenges of mental health, self-care and its impact on HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
With over 50 participants from across the globe, the webinar featured experts in mental health programming alongside young people implementing mental health initiatives through the You(th) Care and Youth Wise projects.
Yves Miel Zuniga from United for Global Mental Health emphasised the importance of engaging young people in decision-making spaces to influence donor priorities in mental health. He highlighted the need for youth-specific mental health funding, promoting evidence exchange, and forming partnerships to drive change.
“Mental health conditions account for 16% of the global disease burden among 10-19-year-olds, with one in five children and adolescents experiencing mental health issues by age 14. Despite this, youth mental health remains the least prioritised among global mental health initiatives.”Yves Miel Zuniga
Policy and Advocacy Officer, United for Global Mental Health
Likewise, Borotulu Ayibatari from PEPFAR highlighted the importance of focusing on the integration of mental health in HIV programming to achieve the 95-95-95 goals. She explained that mental health services promote resilience and improve outcomes related to HIV, such as adherence to treatment and viral suppression.
"It is essential to tailor mental health services to all stages of life and to empower community leaders to incorporate mental health into their programs. PEPFAR's approach is rooted in evidence-based psychosocial practices, with a focus on person-centred, family-focused care to improve outcomes for young people."Burutolu Ayibatari
Mental Health Advisor, Care & TreatmentCommunity Led Monitoring (CLM) Advisor, PEPFAR
The recent webinar highlighted the impactful contributions of youth-led projects in addressing HIV prevention and integrating mental health. Chikondi Kateta, MEAL Officer from COWLHA Malawi, emphasised the importance of self-care in HIV prevention, treatment, and care among young people. Local initiatives focused on ART adherence, nutrition, exercise, community building, and SRHR knowledge demonstrated how young people address these critical issues.
Additionally, Alice Mtuga from CDF Tanzania, an implementing partner under the You(th) Care project, emphasised the successful integration of mental health into programming. Stakeholder engagement, capacity building through peer-to-peer education, and youth-led advocacy were highlighted as essential components for the project's success.
The webinar underscored the significance of involving young people at every step of implementation to guarantee the sustainability and success of such initiatives. The projects' focus on youth leadership and community engagement sets a precedent for impactful and lasting interventions in HIV prevention and mental health integration. The knowledge shared during the event is anticipated to encourage the integration of mental health services to enhance HIV-related outcomes.