Brief Report: Fathering a Child Living With HIV/AIDS: Psychosocial Adjustment and Parenting Stress

Objective: To examine the psychosocial stressors experienced by fathers of children diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Methods: Thirty-one fathers whose children (ages 6 to 19) were participating in pediatric HIV clinical trials completed self-report measures of parenting stress, psychological distress, and need for psychosocial services. Results: Over half of this sample experienced significantly elevated levels of both parenting stress and psychological distress compared to standardized norms. Ninety-seven percent of these men reported the need for services including gender-specific support groups, assistance with discipline, disease management, and assistance with planning for the future. Conclusions: Elevated levels of parenting stress and psychological distress in fathers of children living with HIV suggest the need for additional psychological intervention in this population.