Citation

Leonard NR, Gwadz MV, Cleland CM, Vekaria PC, Ferns B. J. Adolesc. 2008; 31(3): 389-405.

Affiliation

The Center for Drug Use and HIV Research, Institute for AIDS Research, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., 71 West 23rd Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010, USA. Leonard@ndri.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.adolescence.2007.07.001

PMID

17707902

PMCID

PMC2713070

Abstract

We examined the risk and protective factors and mental health problems of 105 low SES, urban adolescents whose mothers were coping with alcohol abuse and other drug problems. Approximately half of the mothers were also HIV-infected. As hypothesized, there were few differences between adolescents of HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected mothers in background characteristics, mental health issues and current substance use risk behaviors. In addition to maternal substance abuse, youth in both groups experienced similar risk factors including early foster care placement and high levels of maltreatment. Current patterns of emerging risk behaviors were evident among youth in both groups as well as signs of resiliency including high levels of school attendance. These results underscore the importance of interventions for youth of substance abusing mothers, particularly those living in urban poverty.

Language: en