Interpersonal distance and coping in children with HIV and cancer.
We compared interpersonal distance and coping among two groups of pre-school pediatric patients diagnosed with either HIV or cancer and a third group of healthy children. In comparison to the children with cancer, children with HIV indicated greater mother-child interpersonal distance--a finding that correlated with mothers' reports of social withdrawal. Other notable findings included increased father-child distance in the HIV population and mother-child discrepancies of perceived interpersonal distance. In addition, seven of the children with HIV indicated that the adults turn away--a finding that correlated with the children's knowledge of their illness. We also explored the possible role of protective communication in the pediatric HIV population.
Department of Psychology, University of Miami, FL, USA.
M S
MS
Hardy
D K
DK
Routh
F D
FD
Armstrong
J
J
Albrecht
J
J
Davis
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005431:Florida; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*