[The process of disclosure of an HIV/AIDS problem in the family to children--an exploratory study].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to describe the process of disclosing HIV/AIDS problem in the family to children and to explore its possible determinants.


METHODS
The investigations were carried in 37 children, aged 4-16 years, living in families with HIV/AIDS problem (25 children were HIV+ and 12 HIV-) and in their parents/ caregivers. Empirical material consisted of protocols of clinical interviews with parents and children, observation of child's behaviour in different contexts and results of selected projective tests.


RESULTS
Only six children (3 were HIV+ and 3 HIV-) had been informed about the problem of HIV/AIDS by the parents and could freely talk with them on that subject. The most important reasons impeding the process of disclosure according to the parents were: risk of depriving the child of a happy childhood and fear that the child may not be able to keep the family secret. As a result of cluster analysis four distinct subgroups of the children under study were discerned. The largest number of emotional and behavioural problems was noted in the case of older, infected children, who were quite aware of their serious medical condition and whose parents were in the phase of secrecy or exploration in the process of disclosure.


CONCLUSIONS
The process of disclosing HIV/AIDS problem in the family by parents to children requires taking into account many different factors. Providing professional psychological services may be of great importance in many instances.
Kmita
Grazyna
G
Zakład Zdrowia Rodziny, Instytut Matki i Dziecka, Kasprzaka 17a, 01-211 Warszawa, Poland. gkmita@imid.med.pl
Baranska
Marta
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003376:Counseling / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011044:Poland; D002666:Psychology, Child; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure