Research Article Open Access Volume 5 • Issue 2 • 1000221 J Depress Anxiety ISSN: 2167-1044 JDA an open access journal Open Access Research Article Journal of Depression & Anxiety J o u r n a l o f D e p r e s s i o n a n d A n x i e t y ISSN: 2167-1044 Doku, J Depress Anxiety 2016, 5:2 DOI: 10.4172/2167-1044.1000221 Keywords: Child labour; HIV/AIDS afected children; Psychological wellbeing; Mental health Introduction Globally, child labour is still on the increase despite several eforts to end it. Child labour is seen as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity. Because child labour may have negative efects on the child’s health, educational achievement, and quality of life, it has become an issue of international concern. Whilst the relationship between child labour and educational achievement and general health seems pretty established, the relationship between child labour and psychological functioning is highly contested [1,2]. Engagement of children in domestic chores is a common phenomenon in Africa and has been suggested that moderate involvement of children in household duties may not harm their psychological functioning [3] but rather promote social responsibility and a sense of inclusion in children [4]. However, Bevegnu et al. [5] pointed out that child labour increase behavioral disorders almost three-fold compared to controls. In Jordanheightened substance use was noted among child laborers compared to controls [6] whilst in Kenya 90% of children engaged in paid labour sufer severe emotional distress including depression, withdrawal and low self-esteem [7]. It has been noted that most children upon parental illness and/orsubsequent death assume expanded household chores and adult roles that could bedistressing for them [8].What is not clear is whether children afected by HIV/AIDS are engaging more in work/labour than other children and whether this could increase their vulnerabilities to poor mental health [2]. Te presence of HIV/AIDS in a household means that parental roles and responsibilities toward children will be diminishedas parents fghts the harsh impacts of the disease on themselves. A study in Kenya found that orphanhood increased school absenteeism by 52% in order to engage in farming, household chores, caring for siblings as well as nursing ill adults [9]. Lyon [10] foresaw the impact HIV/AIDS would have on future children when he suggested that children are now becoming caregivers *Corresponding author: Paul Narh Doku, Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, Tel: 233 543903139; E-mail: pndoku@ug.edu.gh Received January 27, 2016; Accepted February 24, 2016; Published February 28, 2016 Citation: Doku PN (2016) Depression, Delinquency and Peer Problems among Children and Adolescents Affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana: The Mediating Role of Child Labour. J Depress Anxiety 5: 221. doi:10.4172/2167-1044.1000221 Copyright: © 2016 Doku PN, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Depression, Delinquency and Peer Problems among Children and Adolescents Affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana: The Mediating Role of Child Labour Paul Narh Doku* Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana instead of receiving care, guidance and support. Te children are forced as a matter of necessity to take up adult responsibilities to ensure the survival of the household. Salaam [11] noted that children afected by HIV/AIDS assume adult domestic roles including caring for their siblings and other adult relatives who are sick. It was suggested that taking on parental roles and caring for younger siblings are typical responsibilities of orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/ AIDS [9]. As children act as adults in the absence of adult care-giving, they are eluded by a much needed physical and emotional protection as well as support and guidance: vulnerabilities which could make their childhood lives highly traumatizing and stressful [12]. Caring for sick and dying parents is one of the most traumatizing anddevastating events for children [13,14], and Nyamuk apaand colleagues [15] argued that it exacerbates symptoms of psychological disorders. Te World Health Organisation [16] noted that with the consequence of reduced parental care due toHIV/AIDS infection, children now work long hours supervising young siblings, doing tedious household chores and engaging in income generating jobs. In an earlier study, it was suggested that children afected by HIV/AIDS worked more than other children [17]. Budlender and Bosch [18] suggested that engagement in long hours of domestic work are detrimental to children’s physical and psychological wellbeing, whiles Makhoul et al. [19] observe that they interfere with children’s development. Gafeo [20] suggested that some children even have to quit schooling to assume roles as parents, carers, Abstract Background: Although in the developing countries, child labour is still on the increase despite several efforts to end it, little is known about rates of child labour among orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC). The paper explores levels of child labour and its relationship with psychological wellbeing among OVC in Ghana. Method: This study employed cross-sectional, quantitative survey that involved 291 children aged 10-18 years in the Lower Manya Krobo District of Ghana and examined their psychological wellbeing and child labour. Results: The fndings of the present study indicate that, compared with children who were not experiencing HIV/ AIDS in their families, children orphaned by AIDS and children living with HIV/AIDS-affected caregivers had higher levels of psychological symptoms. These associations were mostly unattenuated when relevant socio-demographic factors. Overall, children affected by HIV/AIDS (OVC) reported engaging in signifcantly more domestic chores and care responsibilities than comparison children and that child labour strongly mediates the association between orphanhood status and psychological problems. Conclusion: The fndings call for the development of comprehensive intervention programmes that address both factors specifc to HIV/AIDS and contextual variables such as child labour.