UCLA researchers and colleagues examined the influence of HIV-positive mothers’ parenting skills on their children and found that adolescents in families with higher levels of parental monitoring and frequent, regular routines that brought predictability into their lives had lower rates of aggression, anxiety, depression, binge drinking and other behavioral issues. But variability in parental monitoring resulted in high levels of problem behaviors among adolescents.
Previous research has shown shown that HIV-positive mothers and their children experience more depression than non-infected mothers and children and that chronically ill adults can suffer mental health issues that in turn have detrimental effects on their children. The study findings may be useful in devising interventions for mothers living with HIV/AIDS that can result in greater stability and reduce behavioral problems in adolescents’ lives.