Family environment and rates of mental health and behavioral problems in HIV-negative adolescents and their parents living with HIV (PWH) were compared to adolescents and parents from non HIV-affected families living in similar inner-city neighborhoods. Adolescents and their parents were interviewed and a case-control sample was constructed. Data on sixty-two matched pairs of adolescents of PWH and those of neighborhood parents and forty-six matched pairs of PWH and HIV-negative parents were examined. Compared to neighborhood controls, adolescents of PWH experienced greater life stressors and family conflict and reported lower self-esteem. PWH reported greater emotional distress and substance use. However, there were no significant differences in emotional distress or externalized problem behaviors between the two adolescent groups. Clinical implications are discussed.
Keywords: Parental HIV infection; adolescent emotional distress; adolescent problem behaviors; parental substance use.