Mothers Living With HIV and Their Adolescent Children

* Context: Mothers living with HIV (MLH) and their children face predictable challenges: maintaining physical and mental health, parenting while ill, and addressing HIV-related stressors. * Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a family-based intervention over time; to contrast the life adjustments of HIV-affected families and their non-HIV-affected neighbors in the current treatment era. * Design: Randomized controlled trial of MLH and a longitudinal comparison of MLH to a neighborhood cohort using random effect regression. * Participants and Intervention: MLH (n = 339) and their school-age children (n = 259) were randomly assigned to receive 1) an intervention of 16 sessions in a cognitive-behavioral, small-group format; or 2) control. MLH and their children were compared to non-HIV-affected families recruited at shopping markets. Participant retention was high: 84% at 6 months, 83% at 12 months, and 78% at 18 months. * Main Outcome Measures: Family functioning and conflict, mental and physical health, sexual behavior, and substance use.