title: Family group psychotherapy to support the disclosure of HIV status to children and adolescents.
abstract: Disclosure of the HIV status to infected children is often delayed due to psychosocial problems in their families. We aimed at improving the quality of life in families of HIV-infected children, thus promoting disclosure of the HIV status to children by parents. Parents of 17 HIV-infected children (4.2-18 years) followed at our Center for pediatric HIV, unaware of their HIV status, were randomly assigned to the intervention group (8 monthly sessions of family group psychotherapy, FGP) or to the control group not receiving psychotherapy. Changes in the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB-I) and in the Short-Form State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Sf-STAI), as well as the HIV status disclosure to children by parents, were measured. Ten parents were assigned to the FGP group, while 7 parents to the controls. Psychological well-being increased in 70% of the FGP parents and none of the control group (p=0.017), while anxiety decreased in the FGP group but not in controls (60% vs. 0%, p=0.03). HIV disclosure took place for 6/10 children of the intervention group and for 1/7 of controls. Family group psychotherapy had a positive impact on the environment of HIV-infected children, promoting psychological well-being and the disclosure of the HIV status to children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nicastro
authors.forename: Grazia Isabella
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Continisio
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Storace
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bruzzese
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mango
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liguoro
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guarino
authors.forename: Annunziata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Officioso
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents