Knowledge of maternal HIV/AIDS and child adjustment: the moderating role of children's relationships with their mothers.
The current study examined whether child-reported maternal warmth and support moderated the association between knowledge of maternal illness and child psychosocial adjustment among 86 low-income, African American mothers with HIV/AIDS and their non-infected children. Mother-child relationship quality moderated the association between children's knowledge of maternal HIV/AIDS and children's externalizing, but not internalizing, difficulties. Consistent with the stress-buffering hypothesis, a warm and supportive mother-child relationship afforded a more robust buffer against externalizing difficulties for children who knew of their mother's illness than for children who did not. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.
Jones
Deborah J
DJ
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB #3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, USA. djjones@email.unc.edu
Foster
Sarah E
SE
Zalot
Alecia A
AA
Chester
Charlene
C
King
Antonette
A
D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D030881:Disclosure; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012917:Social Adjustment