Ohemaa B Poku
Biographic Data
| ID | 175565 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ohemaa B Poku |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ohemaa B |
| FAMILY NAME | Poku |
| SIGNATURE | POKU O B |
| AFFILIATIONS | HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY, USA |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 13 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2019 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Exploring social and environmental mechanisms as predictors of mental health among young adults with perinatal HIV infection and exposure
Young adults living with perinatally acquired HIV (YAPHIV) and those perinatally exposed but uninfected (YAPHEU) can face mental health challenges during the transition to adulthood, including depression, anxiety and life stressors. Social support from family and friends may help attenuate the impact of stress on mental health. This longitudinal study examined whether family relationships and friend support predicted psychiatric disorders and mod…
Baby Friendly Spaces
Poor maternal mental health has been shown to impact child health and development. Yet, there is a gap in research on integrated maternal and child care models in humanitarian settings. Action Against Hunger developed the Baby Friendly Spaces (BFS) program which bridges this gap by delivering evidence-based psychosocial support for young children under 2 years and their mothers. This multi-method study was conducted in Nguenyyiel refugee camp (Et…
Development and psychometric properties of three scales employing “what matters most” to assess cultural aspects of intersectional HIV-related and cancer stigma among people living with HIV in Hanoi, …
People living with HIV have disproportionate cancer risk and are a priority population for cancer prevention and control efforts globally, including in Vietnam. HIV-related and cancer stigma independently and intersectionally hinder access to and uptake of prevention and treatment. Using formative qualitative research that used the “What Matters Most” theoretical framework and cognitive interviewing, we developed three culturally-tailored stigma …
Place Security and Mental Health
“We did more than survive”
Despite advances in HIV-treatment, adolescents and young adults (AYA) with HIV (AYAHIV) face myriad challenges. They are less likely than children and older adults to be virally suppressed and are at higher risk for mental health conditions compared to their peers who do not have HIV. AYA are also developing in the context of numerous biomedical, neurocognitive, and psychosocial developmental changes. Normative challenges during this time can be …
Multilevel experiences of carceral violence in Los Angeles, California
Transgender women face a disproportionate burden of carceral violence, or violence related to policing and the criminal legal system, with transgender women of colour experiencing even greater disparities. Several frameworks conceptualise the mechanisms through which violence impacts transgender women. However, none of them directly explore the role of carceral violence, particularly as it is experienced by transgender women themselves. Sixteen i…
It’s Better If I Die Because Even in the Hospital, There is a Stigma, People Still Gossip”
Youth perspectives of working with near peer youth lay counsellors
Youth living with HIV (YLWH) have higher rates of common mental disorders (CMDs) when compared with HIV‐negative youth. We adapted the Friendship Bench to create a problem solving‐based counselling intervention in Botswana delivered by near peer youth lay counsellors for YLWH called Safe Haven. In August 2020, and from June to August 2021, we conducted 22 semistructured interviews with youth aged 13–25 years with mild‐to‐moderate symptoms of CMDs…
Associations between social network characteristics and sexual minority disclosure concern among Black men who have sex with men living with and without HIV
In addition to the pervasive anti‐Black racism faced by Black people in the United States, Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) face sexual minority stigma and, among BMSM living with HIV, HIV‐related stigma. These multilevel social forces shape social networks, which are important sources of resources, support, and behavior regulation. This study quantitatively examined the relationship between social network characteristics and sexual minorit…
Stigma, Structural Vulnerability, and “What Matters Most” Among Women Living With HIV in Botswana, 2017
Objectives. To explore whether beneficial health care policies, when implemented in the context of gender inequality, yield unintended structural consequences that stigmatize and ostracize women with HIV from “what matters most” in local culture. Methods. We conducted 46 in-depth interviews and 5 focus groups (38 individuals) with men and women living with and without HIV in Gaborone, Botswana, in 2017. Results. Cultural imperatives to bear child…
Identifying "What Matters Most" to Men in Botswana to Promote Resistance to HIV-Related Stigma
Despite a comprehensive national program of free HIV services, men living with HIV in Botswana participate at lower rates and have worse outcomes than women. Directed content analysis of five focus groups ( n = 38) and 50 in-depth interviews with men and women with known and unknown HIV status in Gaborone, Botswana in 2017 used the "what matters most" (WMM) and "structural vulnerability" frameworks to examine how the most valued cultural aspects …
Psychometric Validation of a Scale to Assess Culturally-Salient Aspects of HIV Stigma Among Women Living with HIV in Botswana
It's When the Trees Blossom
Mental illness is a common comorbidity of HIV and complicates treatment. In Botswana, stigma impedes treatment of mental illness. We examined explanatory beliefs about mental illness, stigma, and interactions between HIV and mental illness among 42 adults, from HIV clinic and community settings, via thematic analysis of interviews. Respondents endorse witchcraft as a predominant causal belief, in addition to drug abuse and effects of HIV. Respond…
Associations between social network characteristics and sexual minority disclosure concern among Black men who have sex with men living with and without HIV
In addition to the pervasive anti‐Black racism faced by Black people in the United States, Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) face sexual minority stigma and, among BMSM living with HIV, HIV‐related stigma. These multilevel social forces shape social networks, which are important sources of resources, support, and behavior regulation. This study quantitatively examined the relationship between social network characteristics and sexual minorit…
Stigma, Structural Vulnerability, and “What Matters Most” Among Women Living With HIV in Botswana, 2017
Objectives. To explore whether beneficial health care policies, when implemented in the context of gender inequality, yield unintended structural consequences that stigmatize and ostracize women with HIV from “what matters most” in local culture. Methods. We conducted 46 in-depth interviews and 5 focus groups (38 individuals) with men and women living with and without HIV in Gaborone, Botswana, in 2017. Results. Cultural imperatives to bear child…
Identifying "What Matters Most" to Men in Botswana to Promote Resistance to HIV-Related Stigma
Despite a comprehensive national program of free HIV services, men living with HIV in Botswana participate at lower rates and have worse outcomes than women. Directed content analysis of five focus groups ( n = 38) and 50 in-depth interviews with men and women with known and unknown HIV status in Gaborone, Botswana in 2017 used the "what matters most" (WMM) and "structural vulnerability" frameworks to examine how the most valued cultural aspects …
It's When the Trees Blossom
Mental illness is a common comorbidity of HIV and complicates treatment. In Botswana, stigma impedes treatment of mental illness. We examined explanatory beliefs about mental illness, stigma, and interactions between HIV and mental illness among 42 adults, from HIV clinic and community settings, via thematic analysis of interviews. Respondents endorse witchcraft as a predominant causal belief, in addition to drug abuse and effects of HIV. Respond…
Youth perspectives of working with near peer youth lay counsellors
Youth living with HIV (YLWH) have higher rates of common mental disorders (CMDs) when compared with HIV‐negative youth. We adapted the Friendship Bench to create a problem solving‐based counselling intervention in Botswana delivered by near peer youth lay counsellors for YLWH called Safe Haven. In August 2020, and from June to August 2021, we conducted 22 semistructured interviews with youth aged 13–25 years with mild‐to‐moderate symptoms of CMDs…
It's When the Trees Blossom
Mental illness is a common comorbidity of HIV and complicates treatment. In Botswana, stigma impedes treatment of mental illness. We examined explanatory beliefs about mental illness, stigma, and interactions between HIV and mental illness among 42 adults, from HIV clinic and community settings, via thematic analysis of interviews. Respondents endorse witchcraft as a predominant causal belief, in addition to drug abuse and effects of HIV. Respond…
Psychometric Validation of a Scale to Assess Culturally-Salient Aspects of HIV Stigma Among Women Living with HIV in Botswana
Stigma, Structural Vulnerability, and “What Matters Most” Among Women Living With HIV in Botswana, 2017
Objectives. To explore whether beneficial health care policies, when implemented in the context of gender inequality, yield unintended structural consequences that stigmatize and ostracize women with HIV from “what matters most” in local culture. Methods. We conducted 46 in-depth interviews and 5 focus groups (38 individuals) with men and women living with and without HIV in Gaborone, Botswana, in 2017. Results. Cultural imperatives to bear child…
Identifying "What Matters Most" to Men in Botswana to Promote Resistance to HIV-Related Stigma
Despite a comprehensive national program of free HIV services, men living with HIV in Botswana participate at lower rates and have worse outcomes than women. Directed content analysis of five focus groups ( n = 38) and 50 in-depth interviews with men and women with known and unknown HIV status in Gaborone, Botswana in 2017 used the "what matters most" (WMM) and "structural vulnerability" frameworks to examine how the most valued cultural aspects …
It’s Better If I Die Because Even in the Hospital, There is a Stigma, People Still Gossip”
Youth perspectives of working with near peer youth lay counsellors
Youth living with HIV (YLWH) have higher rates of common mental disorders (CMDs) when compared with HIV‐negative youth. We adapted the Friendship Bench to create a problem solving‐based counselling intervention in Botswana delivered by near peer youth lay counsellors for YLWH called Safe Haven. In August 2020, and from June to August 2021, we conducted 22 semistructured interviews with youth aged 13–25 years with mild‐to‐moderate symptoms of CMDs…
Associations between social network characteristics and sexual minority disclosure concern among Black men who have sex with men living with and without HIV
In addition to the pervasive anti‐Black racism faced by Black people in the United States, Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) face sexual minority stigma and, among BMSM living with HIV, HIV‐related stigma. These multilevel social forces shape social networks, which are important sources of resources, support, and behavior regulation. This study quantitatively examined the relationship between social network characteristics and sexual minorit…
“We did more than survive”
Despite advances in HIV-treatment, adolescents and young adults (AYA) with HIV (AYAHIV) face myriad challenges. They are less likely than children and older adults to be virally suppressed and are at higher risk for mental health conditions compared to their peers who do not have HIV. AYA are also developing in the context of numerous biomedical, neurocognitive, and psychosocial developmental changes. Normative challenges during this time can be …
Multilevel experiences of carceral violence in Los Angeles, California
Transgender women face a disproportionate burden of carceral violence, or violence related to policing and the criminal legal system, with transgender women of colour experiencing even greater disparities. Several frameworks conceptualise the mechanisms through which violence impacts transgender women. However, none of them directly explore the role of carceral violence, particularly as it is experienced by transgender women themselves. Sixteen i…
Baby Friendly Spaces
Poor maternal mental health has been shown to impact child health and development. Yet, there is a gap in research on integrated maternal and child care models in humanitarian settings. Action Against Hunger developed the Baby Friendly Spaces (BFS) program which bridges this gap by delivering evidence-based psychosocial support for young children under 2 years and their mothers. This multi-method study was conducted in Nguenyyiel refugee camp (Et…
Development and psychometric properties of three scales employing “what matters most” to assess cultural aspects of intersectional HIV-related and cancer stigma among people living with HIV in Hanoi, …
People living with HIV have disproportionate cancer risk and are a priority population for cancer prevention and control efforts globally, including in Vietnam. HIV-related and cancer stigma independently and intersectionally hinder access to and uptake of prevention and treatment. Using formative qualitative research that used the “What Matters Most” theoretical framework and cognitive interviewing, we developed three culturally-tailored stigma …
Place Security and Mental Health
Exploring social and environmental mechanisms as predictors of mental health among young adults with perinatal HIV infection and exposure
Young adults living with perinatally acquired HIV (YAPHIV) and those perinatally exposed but uninfected (YAPHEU) can face mental health challenges during the transition to adulthood, including depression, anxiety and life stressors. Social support from family and friends may help attenuate the impact of stress on mental health. This longitudinal study examined whether family relationships and friend support predicted psychiatric disorders and mod…
HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (11 works) · Medicine (10 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (9 works) · Psychiatry (8 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (6 works) · Mental health (6 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Family medicine (5 works)