CASE MANAGEMENT AND RESILIENCE OF ADOLESCENTS LIVING WITH HIV IN KIBRA SUB-COUNTY, NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Purpose: This study sought to examine the influence of case management on the resilience of adolescents living with HIV in Kibra Sub-County, Nairobi, Kenya. Mainly, the study aimed to assess the effect of the healthy domain, safe domain, schooled domain, and stable domain interventions on the resilience of adolescents living with HIV in Kibra Sub-County. Methodology: The study was anchored on Resilience Theory, Empowerment Theory, and Case Management Model and adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design. The study used a sample size of 165 adolescents living with HIV aged between 10-19 years and 16 key informants. A stratified sampling technique was used to select adolescents living with HIV, while key informants were selected through a purposive sampling technique. The study used questionnaires and interview guides to collect data. Findings: It is observed that case management interventions explained 80.0% of the resilience of adolescents living with HIV. More importantly, the study found that healthy domain, safe domain, schooled domain, and stable domain interventions had a positive and significant effect on the resilience of adolescents living with HIV in Kibra Sub-County. The case management interventions contributed significantly to the resilience of adolescents living with HIV in informal settlements. The most significant predictor of resilience was stable domain interventions, followed by schooled domain interventions, safe domain interventions, and healthy domain interventions. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that organizations or facilities dealing with adolescents living with HIV need to strengthen health education training, viral load monitoring, assisted disclosure, and follow-ups and bolster basic counselling, enhanced adherence counseling, and life-skill training. They should also support needy adolescents with sanitary pads and school fees/levies, monitor school attendance, provide relief food support to families experiencing emergencies, and provide career guidance and business and vocational/technical training. The findings contribute significantly to project management since all development projects aim to build the resilience of beneficiaries and enable them to become self-reliant. In order to support the findings that successful case management contributes to higher resilience and improved wellbeing, the researcher invites more research to identify other variables under case management intervention.