Longitudinal study of psychological distress symptoms in HIV-infected, school-aged children

Despite the growing numbers of HIV-infected school-aged children, we know very little about the mental health status of this group. This longitudinal study examined the frequency of psychological distress symptoms in HIV-infected children between the ages of 6 and 11 years at three time points over a period of two and one-half years. Children were assessed using the Dominic, a pictorial instrument that assesses for 7 psychological distress symptoms of childhood. In addition, family and demographic variables were collected at Time 1. Children were found to be relatively well-adjusted, with low to moderate incidence of psychological distress. While there were no significant changes in frequency of psychological distress symptoms from Time 1 to Time 3, the prevalence of overanxious and depressive symptomatology increased over time. Implications for clinical practice and future research will be discussed.