title: Mental health of early adolescents from high-risk neighborhoods: the role of maternal HIV and other contextual, self-regulation, and family factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of maternal HIV infection, as well as other individual, family, and contextual factors on the mental health of inner-city, ethnic minority early adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 220 HIV-negative early adolescents (10-14 years) and their mothers, half of whom were HIV-infected. Individual interviews were conducted regarding youth depression, anxiety, externalizing and internalizing behaviour problems, as well as a range of correlates of youth mental health guided by a modified version of Social Action Theory, a theoretical model of behavioral health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the HIV status of mothers alone did not predict youth mental health, youth knowledge of mother's HIV infection and mother's overall health were associated with worse youth mental health outcomes, as were contextual, self-regulation, and family interaction factors from our theoretical model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for family-based mental health interventions for this population, particularly focusing on parent-child relationships, disclosure, and youth self-esteem.
authors.affiliation: HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioural Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. cam14@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Claude A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mellins
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brackis-Cott
authors.forename: Curtis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dolezal
authors.forename: Cheng Shiun
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Leu
authors.forename: Cidna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valentin
authors.forename: Heino F L
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Meyer-Bahlburg
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000208:ethnology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population