Lifetime Incidences of Traumatic Events and Mental Health Among Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in Rural China

Abstract

Cross-sectional data were gathered from 1,625 children (M age = 12.85, SD = 2.21) which included 755 AIDS orphans, 466 vulnerable children, and 404 comparison children. Participants completed self-report measures of exposure to traumatic events, and psychosocial adjustment including behavior problems, depression, self-esteem, and future orientation. AIDS orphans and vulnerable children reported experiencing a higher total occurrence, density, duration, initial impact and lasting impact of traumatic events compared to comparison children. Scores reflecting adjustment were lower among orphans and vulnerable children than among comparison children. Both orphan status and traumatic events contributed unique variance in the expected direction to the prediction of psychosocial adjustment. The data in the current study suggested that children affected by HIV/AIDS in China are exposed to more trauma and suffer more adjustment problems than children who do not experience HIV/AIDS in their families.

The study described in this report was supported by National Institutes of Health Research Grant R01MH76488 by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Nursing Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institute of Nursing Research. We thank other members of the investigation team including Xinguang Chen, Ph.D., Linda Kaljee, Ph.D., Danhua Lin, Ph.D., Yunfei Lv, Ph.D., and Kathryn Meert, M.D. We also thank Dr. Ambika Mathur and Ms. Joanne Zwemer for assistance with manuscript preparation.

Notes

Note. SES = socioeconomic status.

∗p < .0001.

Note. LITE = Life Incidence of Traumatic Events; PTS = posttraumatic stress.

^a Data were available only from AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.

^b Data were available only from AIDS orphans.

^c Excluding Items 17, 18, and 21.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01. ∗∗∗p < .001. ∗∗∗∗p < .0001.

Note. PTS = posttraumatic stress.

^a Data were available only from AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01. ∗∗∗p < .001. ∗∗∗∗p < .0001.

^a Data available only for AIDS orphans and vulnerable children.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01. ∗∗∗p < .001. ∗∗∗∗p < .0001.

Note. SES = socioeconomic status.

^a Perceived health status ranged 1 (very good) to 4 (poor).

^b None of the interaction terms was reported in the table because of absence of multivariate significance.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01. ∗∗∗p < .001. ∗∗∗∗p < .0001.