BACKGROUND: Being a parent, especially a custodial parent, living with HIV was anticipated to increase psychological distress and challenges to self-care. METHODS: Mental health symptoms, substance use, and health care utilization were assessed among 3818 HIV-infected adults, including custodial parents, noncustodial parents, and nonparents, in 4 AIDS epicenters. RESULTS: Custodial parents demonstrated significantly poorer medication adherence and attendance at medical appointments but were similar to nonparents and noncustodial parents in mental health symptoms and treatment utilization for mental health and substance use problems. Noncustodial parents demonstrated the highest levels of recent substance use and substance abuse treatment. Other markers of risk, such as African American ethnicity, lack of current employment income, and injection drug use moderated many of the apparent psychosocial disadvantages exhibited by parents. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions specific to the psychosocial stressors facing families living with HIV are needed.
BACKGROUND: Being a parent, especially a custodial parent, living with HIV was anticipated to increase psychological distress and challenges to self-care. METHODS: Mental health symptoms, substance use, and health care utilization were assessed among 3818 HIV-infected adults, including custodial parents, noncustodial parents, and nonparents, in 4 AIDS epicenters. RESULTS: Custodial parents demonstrated significantly poorer medication adherence and attendance at medical appointments but were similar to nonparents and noncustodial parents in mental health symptoms and treatment utilization for mental health and substance use problems. Noncustodial parents demonstrated the highest levels of recent substance use and substance abuse treatment. Other markers of risk, such as African American ethnicity, lack of current employment income, and injection drug use moderated many of the apparent psychosocial disadvantages exhibited by parents. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions specific to the psychosocial stressors facing families living with HIV are needed.
Authors: B E Sha; C A Benson; J C Pottage; P A Urbanski; S R Daugherty; H A Kessler Journal: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol Date: 1995-04-15
Authors: Nancy Wu; Suzanne Slocum; Scott Comulada; Patricia Lester; Alan Semaan; Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus Journal: J HIV AIDS Prev Child Youth Date: 2008
Authors: Melanie R Thomas; Diane Wara; Katherine Saxton; Mary Truskier; Margaret A Chesney; W Thomas Boyce Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2013-06-13 Impact factor: 4.312