Brief report: fathering a child living with HIV/AIDS: psychosocial adjustment and parenting stress.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the psychosocial stressors experienced by fathers of children diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.


METHODS
Thirty-one fathers whose children (ages 6 to 19) were participating in pediatric HIV clinical trials completed self-report measures of parenting stress, psychological distress, and need for psychosocial services.


RESULTS
Over half of this sample experienced significantly elevated levels of both parenting stress and psychological distress compared to standardized norms. Ninety-seven percent of these men reported the need for services including gender-specific support groups, assistance with discipline, disease management, and assistance with planning for the future.


CONCLUSIONS
Elevated levels of parenting stress and psychological distress in fathers of children living with HIV suggest the need for additional psychological intervention in this population.
Wiener
L S
LS
National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. wienerl@exchange.nih.gov
Vasquez
M J
MJ
Battles
H B
HB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological