Published online October 22, 2007
PEDIATRICS Vol. 120 No. 5 November 2007, pp. e1141-e1147 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2005-2680)

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bauman, L. J. Articles by Hudis, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bauman, L. J. Articles by Hudis, J. Related Collections Infectious Disease & Immunity Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

ARTICLE

Children of Mothers With HIV/AIDS: Unmet Needs for Mental Health Services

Laurie J. Bauman, PhD^a, Ellen J. Silver, PhD^a, Barbara H. Draimin, DSW^b and Jan Hudis, MPH^b

^a Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, New York
^b Family Center, New York, New York

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to use multiple measures and sources to assess mental health over time in uninfected 8- to 12-year-old children of HIV-positive mothers.

METHODS. We recruited from the New York City Division of AIDS Services and Income Support a consecutive sample of 157 single mothers who were living with an HIV-negative child aged 8 to 12. Families were randomly assigned to receive a custody planning intervention, Project Care, or standard care. Data were collected at baseline and 4 subsequent times 6 months apart. Children completed the Children's Depression Inventory; 8- to 10-year-olds completed the Terry, and 11- to 12-year-olds completed the Youth Self-Report. Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist. Each measure has a validated cutoff score to signify clinically significant symptoms.

RESULTS. All 5 data points were available on 129 (82%) children. During 2 years, every child had a score in the clinical range (12% once, 25% twice, 26% 3 times, 27% 4 times, and 9% all 5 times). Clinically significant symptoms were most likely at baseline when mothers were sickest. Few had clinically significant symptoms based on maternal report only (5%) or child report only (8%). Chronicity of clinically significant symptoms was not related to child age or gender, maternal health or depression, parent-child relationship, or being assigned to Project Care. Although two thirds of the children received mental health services during the study, <25% did at any 1 time, and 28% of children with chronic clinically significant symptoms never received care.

CONCLUSIONS. Children who are affected by AIDS should be routinely screened for psychiatric problems by using multiple measures and sources to avoid underidentification and be carefully monitored long-term.

---

Key Words: child mental health child behavior maternal HIV/AIDS longitudinal

Abbreviations: DASIS—Division of AIDS Services Income Support • CBCL—Child Behavior Checklist • CDI—Children's Depression Inventory • YSR—Youth Self-Report • CSS—clinically significant symptoms • PSI—Psychiatric Symptom Index • IPPA—Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment

---

Accepted Jan 30, 2007.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. Malee, P. L. Williams, G. Montepiedra, S. Nichols, P. A. Sirois, D. Storm, J. Farley, B. Kammerer, and PACTG 219C Team The Role of Cognitive Functioning in Medication Adherence of Children and Adolescents with HIV Infection J. Pediatr. Psychol., March 1, 2009; 34(2): 164 - 175. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]