Loneliness in South African youth and its association with HIV infection, substance use and mental health

Youth are susceptible to experiencing loneliness, which is associated with poor mental health and substance use. However there are limited data from low-middle-income settings especially in youth living with HIV. This study investigated loneliness in South African youth and association with perinatal HIV infection (PHIV), mental health and substance use. A cross-sectional descriptive exploratory study of youth with PHIV and HIV negative youth 17 to 24 years was conducted measuring loneliness and associations with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma exposure, coping, resilience and substance use. Of 122 youth, a moderate to high degree of loneliness was found in 92.6%. Loneliness was associated with female sex, depression, anxiety, PTSD, negative coping, lower levels of resilience and exposure to trauma. Loneliness was not associated with PHIV or substance use. Given the high levels of loneliness, peer-based interventions for youth aimed at improving social support, depression and anxiety should be strengthened.