Assessment and psychotherapeutic intervention for an HIV-infected preschool child

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1994 Nov-Dec;33(9):1338-45. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199411000-00017.

Abstract

Pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is becoming more common. Moreover, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive status in multiple family members is common and complicates disease management. Practitioners treating these children are often unaware of the effect of the virus on the child's psychological, cognitive, and emotional functioning. In addition, children with AIDS frequently come from families facing pressing social problems, including homelessness, poverty, and drug addiction. HIV-positive children thus confront such diverse issues as the deterioration of developmental skills, social ostracism, and the possibility of imminent death, placing them in a socioemotional crisis. This paper presents a comprehensive psychotherapeutic intervention for such children.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Child of Impaired Parents*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Developmental Disabilities / etiology*
  • Developmental Disabilities / therapy
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / complications
  • HIV Infections / psychology*
  • HIV Infections / transmission
  • Humans
  • Ill-Housed Persons
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
  • Psychotherapy / methods