The Role of Parenting in Affecting the Behavior and Adaptive Functioning of Young Children of HIV-Infected Mothers in South Africa

• Published in: AIDS and behavior Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 605 - 616
• Main Authors: Allen, Alexandra Boeving, Finestone, Michelle, Eloff, Irma, Sipsma, Heather, Makin, Jennifer, Triplett, Kelli, Ebersöhn, Liesel, Sikkema, Kathleen, Briggs-Gowan, Margaret, Visser, Maretha, Ferreira, Ronél, Forsyth, Brian W. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.03.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Behavior; Child; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child of Impaired Parents - statistics & numerical data; Child psychology; Childrearing Practices; Children; Coping; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - psychology; Female; Females; Health Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - psychology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Interviews as Topic; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mother-Child Relations - psychology; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Original Paper; Parenting - psychology; Parents & parenting; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Public Health; Socioeconomic Factors; South Africa; Stress; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; South Africa; Parenting; South Africa; Coping; Child behavior; OVC; Maternal HIV/AIDS
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-013-0544-7

Prior investigations suggest that maternal HIV/AIDS poses significant challenges to young children. This study investigates the relationships between mothers’ psychological functioning, parenting, and children’s behavioral outcomes and functioning in a population of women living with HIV (N = 361) with a child between the ages of 6 and 10 years in Tshwane, South Africa. Utilizing path analysis, findings revealed that maternal depression is related to increased parenting stress and parent–child dysfunction, maternal coping is related to parenting style, and maternal coping, parenting style and stress, and parent–child dysfunction are associated with children’s behavior and functioning, with parenting emerging as an important mediator. These findings suggest that interventions for women living with HIV and their children should not only address maternal psychological functioning (depression and coping), but should also focus on parenting, promoting a positive approach.