Emotions and Feelings as Predictors of Depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders among Children and Adolescents with Complete Blindness

 Introduction Although blindness is a detrimental physical condition affecting almost all aspects of the lives of children and adolescents with blindness, little is known about the negative emotions and feelings they express and how they are linked with psychological disorders. Thus, this study aimed at examining the links between negative basic emotions, feelings, depression, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). Methods Sixty children and adolescents with blindness were selected from HVP Gatagara-Rwamagana. We computed the regression analysis to identify the associations between emotions and feelings and depression and ADHD symptoms. Results Results indicated clinical levels of sadness in 29 of 60 (48.3%), low self-esteem in 27 of 60 (45%), anger in 26 of 60 (43.3%), guilt and shame in 25 of 60) 41.6%, depression in 26 of 60 (43.3%), inattention in 11 of 60 (18.3%) and hyperactivity in 3 of 60 (5%). This study revealed that self-esteem (β = -0.81, p < 0.001), anger (β = 0.76, p < 0.001), sadness (β = 0.75, p < 0.001), low happiness (β = -0.53, p < 0.001), guilt and shame (β = 0.70, p < 0.001) predicted depressive symptoms. Only sadness (β = 0.540, p = 0.04) and anger (β =- 0.556, p = 0.04) were significant predictors of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with blindness. Conclusion Interventions designed to elevate self-esteem and happiness as well as decrease anger, sadness, shame and guilt are needed for decreasing the risk of depression and ADHD. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2022;5(3):340-34

A randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of narrative therapy on resilience of orphaned and abandoned children fostered in SOS children’s village

Background: Narrative Therapy is an efficacious treatment approach widely practiced for various psychological conditions. However, few studies have examined its effectiveness on resilience, a robust determinant of one’s mental health, and there has been no randomized controlled trial in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: This study sought to evaluate the efficacy of narrative therapy for the resilience of orphaned and abandoned children in Rwanda. Method: This study was a ‘parallel randomized controlled trial’ in which participants (n = 72) were recruited from SOS Children’s Village. Half of the participants (n = 36) were randomly allocated to the intervention group and the rest to the delayed narrative therapy group. For the intervention group, children attended ten sessions (55 min each) over 2.5 months. Data were collected using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM) and analyzed using mixed ANOVA within SPSS version 28. Result: The results from ANOVA indicated a significant main effect of time and group for resilience total scores. Of interest, there was a significant time by group interaction effect for resilience. Pairwise comparison analyses within-group showed a significant increase in resilience in the intervention group, and the effect size was relatively large in this group. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the notable efficacy of narrative therapy for children’s resilience in the intervention group. Therefore, health professionals and organizations working with orphaned and abandoned children will apply narrative therapy to strengthen their resilience and improve mental health. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry identifier: PACTR202107499406828.