Mental health issues and related psychosocial factors among children and adolescents living with HIV: a scoping review

Children and adolescents living with HIV face not only biomedical challenges but also significant mental health issues across multiple psychosocial contexts. Despite advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART), this population remains vulnerable to stigma, depression, trauma, and social exclusion, all of which may affect treatment adherence and quality of life. Understanding these mental health issues and related psychosocial factors is critical for developing targeted interventions and policies. This scoping review aimed to map the reported mental health issues and related psychosocial factors among children and adolescents living with HIV. This scoping review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and CINAHL using Boolean operators and relevant keywords and MeSH terms related to HIV, children, adolescents, psychosocial factors, and mental health. Eligible studies were original research articles published in English between 2011 and 2025, involving children and adolescents living with HIV across all care and geographic contexts. Data were independently charted by two reviewers, and the findings were synthesized using descriptive content analysis to identify recurring themes. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis identified six major themes: (1) stigma and discrimination; (2) depression, distress, and suicide risk; (3) ART adherence and its relationship with mental health outcomes; (4) family, parenting, and peer relationships; (5) contextual factors such as poverty, trauma, substance use, and self-efficacy; and (6) protective factors and resilience. The findings indicate that mental health issues among children and adolescents living with HIV are closely shaped by psychosocial conditions, family support, and broader contextual factors, with important implications for ART adherence and wellbeing. Children and adolescents living with HIV experience interconnected mental health issues that affect ART adherence and quality of life. Integrated interventions are needed to incorporate mental health services into HIV care, reduce stigma, and strengthen family and community support systems.