Parents And Children Coping Together (PACT) Series

Parents And children Coping Together (PACT) was designed to longitudinally assess mothers living with HIV (MLHs) and their young, well children age 5 to 11 years old. A subsequent study, "Parents and Adolescents Coping Together (PACT II), followed up the majority of these families as the children were transitioning to early and middle adolescence. PACT III extended and expanded the study of these PACT and PACT II families, longitudinally assessing MLHs and their late adolescent/early adult children. The PACT sample was followed every 6 months for 30 months; the PACT II sample was followed every six months for 36 months, and the PACT III sample was followed every six months for 36 months. Specific aims were to: 1: evaluate longitudinally youth adjustment (i.e., mental health, behavioral adjustment, social outcomes) including measures for young children (PACT), adolescents (PACT II) and late adolescents/early adults (PACT III) in families affected by maternal HIV. Measures included developmentally appropriate youth and maternal mental health measures (e.g., Children's Depression Inventory for youth’s age under 18; Beck Depression Inventory for youth’s age equal to or greater than 18), assessment of maternal physical health, assessment of child behaviors, and family functioning. 2: evaluate youth characteristics from across developmental periods that may moderate or mediate the impact of MLHs' chronic illness on patterns of youth adjustment over time, including: (a) background factors of age, gender, ethnicity; and (b) moderating and mediating factors, such as self-concept, family cohesion, the parent-child relationship, HIV/AIDS knowledge, perceived stigma, autonomy, and parent-adolescent separation. 3: evaluate maternal characteristics that may moderate or mediate the impact of MLHs' chronic illness on the youth (e.g., illness severity, mental health status, social support, parenting skills).

This study represents one of the first cohort of children in the United States affected by maternal HIV/AIDS followed all the way from early school age through late adolescence/early adulthood. Findings indicate that growing up with a mother with HIV/AIDS may lead to different outcomes for children who become aware of their mother's HIV status as younger versus an older adolescents; the longer term ramifications of living since childhood with a mother who has a chronic, highly stigmatized illness has not previously been investigated prospectively.