Table 4 Results from studies included in the quantitative synthesis (N = 10)- correlates associated with wellbeing or mental health among YPLHIV in SSA

(Abebe et al., 2019)

Logistic regression

Depressive symptoms

(BDI-II)

• 15–19 yrs.

(OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.92–4.21, p ≤ 0.2)

• Opportunistic infection

(OR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.29–2.78, p ≤ 0.2)

• Stigma

(OR = 2.74, 95% CI 1.88–4.00, p ≤ 0.2)

• Poor adherence

(OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.44–3.09, p ≤ 0.2)

• Low adherence

(OR = 3.22, 95% CI 1.78–5.82, p ≤ 0.2)

• Moderate social support

(OR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.27–3.39, p ≤ 0.2)

• 15–19 yrs.

(OR = 2.20, 95% CI 1.33–3.62, p < 0.01)

• Opportunistic infection

(OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.15–3.27, p < 0.01)

• Stigma

(OR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.35–3.14, p < 0.001)

• Poor Adherence

(OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.13–2.64, p < 0.01)

• Low social support

(OR = 2.74, 95% CI 1.42–5.27, p < 0.01)

• Moderate social support

(OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.03–2.98, p < 0.05)

(Dow et al., 2016)

Negativebinomial regression

Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9)

• Age (per 1 year)

(MR: 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.18, p < .001)

• Female

(MR: 1.62, 95% CI1.15–2.28; p = .006)

• Not in school

(MR: 1.65, 95% CI 1.12–2.43; p = .01)

• Stigma (per 1 point)

• (MR: 1.09, 95% CI1.06–1.13; p < .001)

• Age (per 1 year)

(MR: 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.14, p = .004)

• Female

(MR: 1.52, 95% CI1.11–2.09; p = .01)

• Stigma (per 1 point)

(MR: 1.08, 95% CI1.04–1.11; p < .001)

• Incomplete adherence

(MR: 1.52, 95% CI1.07–2.18; p = .02)

(Earnshaw et al., 2018)

Poisson regression

Depressive symptoms (BDI-II)

• Internalised stigma

(RR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.19–1.34, p ≤ 0.05)

• Associative stigma

(RR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.43–1.68, p ≤ 0.05)

• Internalised*associative stigma

(RR = 1.12 (95% CI 1.09–1.14), p ≤ 0.05)

• Internalised stigma

(RR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.13–1.34, p ≤ 0.05)

• Associative stigma

(RR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.37–1.84, p ≤ 0.05)

(Gaitho et al., 2018)

Linear regression

Depressive symptoms

• 15–19 years

(OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.6–4.3, p < 0.001)

• frequent changing of schools in the preceding 2 years due to repeated adversities

(OR = 1.66, 95% CI 0.99–2.81, p = 0.05)

• repeating a grade

(OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.11–3.11, p = 0.02)

• lack of school fees

(OR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.23–6.31, p = 0.005)

• unavailability of food

(OR = 2.83, 95% CI 1.27–6.31, p = 0.009)

• ran away from home

(OR = 3.39, 95% CI 1.09–10.58, p = 0.03)

• substance use

(OR = 3.57, 95% CI 1.29–9.92, p = 0.01)

• non-perfect adherence to their medications (OR = 2.62, 95% CI 1.60,-4.28, p ≤ 0.001)

• 15–19 years

(OR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.36–4.04, p < 0.02)

• having had an experience of repeating a grade (OR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.0–3.05, p = 0.05)

• having had an experience of being refused school participationdue to lack of school fees

(OR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.0–2.91, p = 0.05)

• non-adherence to medication

(OR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.08–3.14, p = 0.03)

(Gentz et al., 2017)

Hierarchical multiple linear regression

Total difficulties-(SDQ)

Total difficulties

• Orphanhood

• (β = 0.138, 95% CI NR, p < .05

Total difficulties-Final model

• Child assets

(β = − 0.22, 95% CI NR, p < 0.05)

• Stigma

• (β = − 0.261, 95% CI NR, p < 0.05)

(Kim et al., 2015)

Linear/

logistic regression

Depressive symptoms (BDI II)

NR

Final model

• Female

(β: 2.13, 95% CI 0.82–3.43, p = 0.002)

• Not in school/junior primary

(β: 3.84, 95% CI 1.71–5.98, p = 0.0005)

• Nobody in my family has died

(β: − 1.77, 95% CI − 3.15- − 0.39, p = 0.001)

• Did not fail school term/class

(β: − 1.46, 95% CI − 2.76- − 0.17, p = 0.003)

• Bullying for taking medication

(β: 5.31, 95% CI 3.19–7.43, p < 0.0001)

• Never had a boyfriend/girlfriend

(β: − 2.38, 95% CI − 4.35- − 0.41, p = 0.02)

• Disclosed and have shared with someone (β: − 1.83, 95% CI − 3.79-0.13, p = 0.02)

• Level of immunosuppression (None or not significant)

(β:− 2.58, 95% CI − 4.29- − 0.87, p = 0.0009)

• Age* satisfaction with physical appearance interaction

(β:− 0.93, 95% CI − 1.74- − 0.11, p = 0.03)

• Age* Height for age z-score interaction –(β: − 0.39, 95% CI − 0.68- − 0.11, p = 0.007)

(Mbalinda et al., 2015)

Logistic regression

Physical health functioning-(MOS- HIV)

NR

• Secondary

(aOR: 0.41, 95% CI 0.20–0.85, p = 0.01)

• Northern region

(aOR: 0.25, 95% CI0.16–0.42; p = < 0.001)

• Currently on ARVs

(aOR: 2.07, 95% CI1.24–3.36; p < 0.05)

• Has a friend who is smoking cigarette- (aOR: 0.48, 95% CI0.29–0.80; p = < 0.001)

(Mutumba et al., 2017)

Hierarchical multiple linear regression

Psychological distress

NR

Final model

• Female

(β: 0.061, 95% CI NR, p = 0.08)

• Pentecostal

(β: 0.086, 95% CI NR, p = 0.02)

• Paternal orphan

(β: − 0.083, 95% CI NR, p = 0.05)

• Double orphan

(β: − 0.094, 95% CI NR, p = 0.07)

• Daily hassles

(β: 0.118, 95% CI NR, p = 0.01)

• Negative life events

(β: 0.209, 95% CI NR, p < 0.01)

• HIV-related QoL

(β: 0.299, 95% CI NR, p < 0.01)

• HIV stigma

(β:0.089, 95% CI NR, p = 0.02)

• Religiosity

(β: 0.078, 95% CI NR, p = 0.02)

• Religious coping

(β: − 0.083, 95% CI NR, p = 0.02)

• Optimism

(β:− 0.063, 95% CI NR, p = 0.09)

• Satisfied with social support

(β: − 0.169, 95% CI NR, p < 0.01)

• General coping styleand behaviours

(β: − 0.160, 95% CI NR, p < 0.01)

(Okawa et al., 2018)

Logistic regression (multiple)

Depressive symptoms (CES-D)

• Fair/unsatisfied with relationship with family

(aOR: 3.01, 95% CI 1.20–7.56, p < 0.01)

• Fair/unsatisfied with relationship with HCWs

(aOR: 2.68, 95% CI1.04–6.93; p = < 0.001)

• Experienced HIV stigma

(aOR: 2.99, 95% CI1.07–8.41; p = 0.01)

(Woollett et al., 2017)

No formal regression, calculated relative risks using Altman’s formula

Depressive symptoms (CDI-S)

• Been hit

(RR: 1.97, 95% CI NR, p 0.02)

• Been inappropriately touched

(RR: 2.22, 95% CI NR; p = 0.01)

• Do not feel like they control their future

(RR: 2.55, 95% CI NR; p = 0.04)

• Do not feel safe at home (RR: 5.17, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• Do not have a dream

(RR: 4.62, 95% CI NR; p < .001

• Do not have a safe place in the communityfor adolescents

(RR: 2.31, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• Experienced forced sex (RR:3.55, 95% CI NR; p = 0.02)

• Experienced peer violence outside of school

(RR:2.16, 95% CI NR; p = 0.01)

• Experienced peer violence at school andoutside

(RR:1.77, 95% CI NR; p = 0.04)

• Reports any form of suicidality

(RR: 3.44, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• Think about a way to kill themselves

(RR: 3.54, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• Think about killing themselves

(RR: 3.22, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• Try to kill themselves- (RR: 3.76, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• Want to hurt themselves- (RR: 2.74, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• Wish they were dead- (RR: 3.71, 95% CI NR; p < .001)

• NR