How AIDS Affects Family Life

The study by Lesar and Maldonado (1997) sought to identify which aspects of family life are affected and to measure statistically the experience of being psychologically, economically, and socially on adults and children in households where children are infected with AIDS. The focus of study by Rotheram-Borus and Others (1998) was on measuring statistically factors of conflict and stress between adolescents and parents in households where one or more family members (not children especially) have AIDS, and whether and to what extent the presence of AIDS in a given family functioned as a key factor determining the nature of the relationship. Both studies appear to have been undertaken with a view toward forecasting possible lines of development of clinical outreach protocols that could respond effectively to populations that comprised the subjects of investigation. The scope of each study was limited by the demographics of subjects, inasmuch as subjects were recruited from the ranks of social-service case populations served by health-related agenc

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ully than the one by Lesar and Maldonado (1997). That is not because the latter study was in itself flawed but rather because, as Lesar and Maldonado (p. 277) point out, studies of HIV impact on the family "is a relatively recent topic of investigation." Accordingly, Lesar and Maldonado explain that more study needs to be done on the caregiving parents' perceptions of how AIDS impacts family experience. In the interim, they suggest a rather wide range of possible intervention strategies of which social workers might be a part. But this is somewhat problematic. They refer to the "opportunity to improve problem-solving skills, coping repertoire, and overall interpersonal relationships" (1997, p. 277). However, they also note that in many pediatric-AIDS families contain parents who are also infected and who often conceal the nature of their or their children's illness because of the social stigma of AIDS. Now they suggest educational outreach to affected families and to the extended social networks of such families, as well as the establishment of support groups in clinical settings that would function as a caregivers' resource. This would seem on its face to be a highly practical bit of advice, although they do imply that the high
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Approximate Word count = 1665
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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