The psychological effects of parental human immunodeficiency virus infection on uninfected children

B. W. Forsyth, L. Damour, S. Nagler and J. Adnopoz
Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, NJ, USA.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the mental health of children of mothers infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. DESIGNS: Matched comparison of 26 children of mothers infected with the human immunodeficiency virus and 26 children with no experience of human immunodeficiency virus infection within their families. SETTINGS: Subject children were identified through hospital acquired immunodeficiency syndrome clinics and comparison children were identified through the primary care center of the same hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects and controls were aged 6 to 16 years and matched by age, sex, race, and maternal marital and employment status. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and the children completed the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Children's Depression Inventory. RESULTS: Controlling for confounding variables, subjects were found by the Child Behavior Checklist to be significantly more withdrawn (P < .05) and to have more problems with attention (P < .005) than controls, although total Child Behavior Checklist scores were not significantly different. Compared with control children, the subject children reported more depression on the Children's Depression Inventory (P < .05) but were not more anxious. However, compared with children of asymptomatic mothers, the children of symptomatic mothers were reported to be significantly more anxious and/or depressed on the Child Behavior Checklist (P < .01) and the children reported more anxiety on the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: This study focusing specifically on uninfected children in families affected by the human immunodeficiency virus demonstrates some of the psychological ramifications of this disease. Larger studies are required to identify factors that contribute to the vulnerabilities and resilience of such children. Attention needs to focus on ameliorating these adverse effects on the children of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

HIV-positive mothers' disclosure of their serostatus to their young children: a review.
Murphy
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2008;13:105-122.
ABSTRACT  

Children of Mothers With HIV/AIDS: Unmet Needs for Mental Health Services
Bauman et al.
Pediatrics 2007;120:e1141-e1147.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Disclosures of maternal HIV infection to seronegative children: A literature review
Hawk
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 2007;24:657-673.
ABSTRACT  

Parent-Adolescent Communication and Psychological Symptoms among Adolescents with Chronically Ill Parents
Houck et al.
J Pediatr Psychol 2007;32:596-604.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Mental Health Risk of Mothers and Children: The Role of Maternal HIV Infection
Brackis-Cott et al.
The Journal of Early Adolescence 2007;27:67-89.
ABSTRACT  

Babies of a pandemic
Stein et al.
Arch. Dis. Child. 2005;90:116-118.
FULL TEXT  

High Rates of Behavioral Problems in Perinatally HIV-Infected Children Are Not Linked to HIV Disease
Mellins et al.
Pediatrics 2003;111:384-393.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Behavioral Problems in School-Aged Children of Mothers with HIV/AIDS
Bauman et al.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2002;7:39-54.
ABSTRACT  

A Longitudinal Study of the Impact on Young Children of Maternal HIV Serostatus Disclosure
Murphy et al.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2002;7:55-70.
ABSTRACT  

Disclosing HIV Status: Are Mothers Telling Their Children?
Armistead et al.
J Pediatr Psychol 2001;26:11-20.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Children with HIV: the challenge for general practice
Kidd
BMJ 1999;319:207-208.
FULL TEXT