Mental Health and Psychosocial Factors Among HIV-Positive Adolescents in Uganda

35.2% of adolescents living with HIV in the Teso region of Uganda had mental health problems, with suicidal tendencies being the most common at 31%. This cross-sectional dataset was collected using the HEADSS psychosocial assessment tool from adolescents aged 10–19 years receiving HIV care in high-volume health facilities. The data were analyzed by Mary Abwola Olwedo and published on figshare in 2026.

Use Cases

• Assessing the prevalence of mental health problems based on HEADSS tool scores mentioned in the description
• Modeling factors associated with mental health risk based on sociodemographic variables like living arrangements and employment status
• Evaluating the protective role of supportive living arrangements for adolescents with HIV
• Informing the integration of peer-led screening and mental health services into adolescent HIV care programs

Strengths

• Dataset includes a specific prevalence figure of 35.2% for mental health problems and 31% for suicidal tendencies
• Data collection used a standardized psychosocial assessment tool (HEADSS) uploaded to a digital platform (Kobo Collect)
• Analysis identified statistically significant associated factors with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) reported

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data reflects a specific geographic and population bias inherent to the Teso region of Uganda

Provenance

Source

figshare, author Mary Abwola Olwedo

Collection Method

Cross-sectional study using the HEADSS psychosocial assessment tool, collected digitally via Kobo Collect

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-29 17:38:07; freshness should be verified

Geography

Teso region, Uganda