 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Cassandra okechukwu, MSN, MPH, University of Maryland, 655 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, 410-625-2375, cokechuk@jhsph.edu and Nina Langlie, BA, Lutheran Social Service, 4406 Georgia Avenue, Northwest, DC 20011.
Increasing the social support network of people living with HIV/AIDS has been shown to play an integral role in their adaptation to their illness. Over half of all new HIV infection occur in people under 25 with many of those infected living in inner cities. Inner city youths living with HIV/AIDS are faced with many social problems that challenge their ability to adapt to their illness. Also, issues of stigma, secrecy, disfiguring medication issues, distrust of authority and fear of rejection shadow their lives making it even more difficult for them to maintain a social support network. A participant driven art based program is being used to widen the social support network of one population of inner city youths living with HIV/AIDS. The program consists of a weekend at a nature retreat and six group session at a home site facilitated by a multidisciplinary team of a nurse, social workers, arts facilitators and therapists. A description of the participants’ network forming process and its results, deficits and challenges will be described. Expected and unexpected program results include increased activism, positive change in behavior and increased compliance with illness related appointments. Participant characteristics and background along with their pre and post reaction to the program and its themes of trust, sharing, connecting, embracing differences, giving, and celebration will also be described. Results from a follow-up implementation and evaluation of the program that incorporates input from the young adults will be presented.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Youth
Related Web page: www.arts-for-life.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Arts for life
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.