Mental health of early adolescents from high-risk neighborhoods: the role of maternal HIV and other contextual, self-regulation, and family factors.
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.
Mellins
Claude A
CA
HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioural Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. cam14@columbia.edu
Brackis-Cott
Elizabeth
E
Dolezal
Curtis
C
Leu
Cheng Shiun
CS
Valentin
Cidna
C
Meyer-Bahlburg
Heino F L
HF
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