The assessment of HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and susceptibility among psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents

Psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents (n = 108) were surveyed regarding their HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes (positive, negative, and neutral), self-efficacy (the belief that one has the skills to prevent HIV/AIDS), susceptibility (the belief that one can get HIV/AIDS), and non- susceptibility. The results were compared with national samples of adolescents surveyed in prior studies. Overall, the present sample reported less knowledge and more misconceptions regarding HIV transmission than national samples. The present group also reported more positive attitudes and less negative attitudes toward HIV/AIDS-related issues. National samples endorsed more neutral items (i.e., unrelated to HIV/AIDS issues) than the present sample. Scores across self-efficacy items were similar in both samples. Relative to national samples, the present group tended to agree more with susceptibility items than with non-susceptibility items. With the present sample, adolescents who provided correct answers to knowledge items also tended to correctly answer misconception items. Knowledge and negative attitudinal items were negatively correlated, suggesting that as HIV/AIDS- related knowledge increased negative attitudes toward HIV/AIDS decreased. The results are discussed in terms of their implications in the design and implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs for emotionally disturbed adolescents.