Mental health issues in HIV-affected women and children

In the United States, HIV illness commonly strikes in families already struggling with substance abuse, psychiatric disorder, and multi-generational histories of victimization and trauma, which can complicate family adaptation to the stressors of HIV disease.

Abstract

As rates of HIV infection and AIDS increase in women of child bearing age, HIV/AIDS has evolved into a disease of families with children. This is reflected in increasing numbers of HIV-infected children as well as rapidly growing numbers of children and adolescents losing parents to AIDS. Each stage of HIV disease, including diagnosis of HIV infection, illness progression, late-stage illness, death, and family reconfiguration presents particular mental health challenges to infected parents and their affected children. Children who are themselves HIV-infected must also confront the psychological issues of adapting to a chronic, terminal illness as well as the effects of HIV progression on development and cognition. In the United States, HIV illness commonly strikes in families already struggling with substance abuse, psychiatric disorder, and multi-generational histories of victimization and trauma. Where present, these problems can complicate family adaptation to the stressors of HIV disease. Clinicians working with HIV-affected families need expertise in the mental health issues associated with substance abuse as well as those associated with the course of HIV illness.