Adjustment of Adolescents of Parents Living with HIV

ABSTRACT

Family environment and rates of mental health and behavioral problems in HIV-negative adolescents and their parents living with HIV (PWH) were compared to adolescents and parents from non HIV-affected families living in similar inner-city neighborhoods. Adolescents and their parents were interviewed and a case-control sample was constructed. Data on sixty-two matched pairs of adolescents of PWH and those of neighborhood parents and forty-six matched pairs of PWH and HIV-negative parents were examined. Compared to neighborhood controls, adolescents of PWH experienced greater life stressors and family conflict and reported lower self-esteem. PWH reported greater emotional distress and substance use. However, there were no significant differences in emotional distress or externalized problem behaviors between the two adolescent groups. Clinical implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Parental HIV infection
• adolescent emotional distress
• adolescent problem behaviors
• parental substance use

The authors wish to thank the parents, caregivers, and adolescents who participated in this study, as well as the research staff including the group leaders, interviewers, coordinators, and project directors.

This research was completed with the support of the William T. Grant Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health grants R01 MH49958-04, K-23 MH02050-03, and P30 MH58107.

Notes

^t,

^ttPaired t test: ^tP < .05, ^ttP < .01

^w,

^wwWilcoxon signed rank test: ^w P < .05, ^ww P < .01

^m,

^mmMcNemar's test: ^m P < .05, ^mm P < .01

^t,

^ttPaired t test: ^t P < .05, ^tt P < .01