Identity development in adolescents living with HIV

The purpose of this project was to qualitatively explore how identity formation may be affected by the presence of HIV disease. Eight HIV-infected adolescents (three males, five females), aged 17–21, participated in a semi-structured interview that combined measures of identity development with open-ended, qualitative questions aimed at eliciting the adolescents' personal stories and experiences of living with HIV. All participants fell into either Diffusion or Achievement identity statuses, which in turn impacted their response to having HIV. The impact that HIV had on the participants' values and future goals varied across the sample. Findings are discussed in terms of clinical intervention implications, contextual variables, and the need for larger, more comprehensive research efforts. Copyright 2002 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.