This study aimed to assess family functioning in adolescents with perinatal HIV infection receiving antiretroviral therapy compared with healthy controls. Correlations between self-reported and caregiver-reported family functions were also evaluated. A sample of 195 participants including 65 perinatally HIV-infected adolescents and 130 healthy controls were enrolled. The total family functioning score in HIV-infected adolescents was significantly lower than that in healthy controls by self-report (105.86 vs 115.41; P ≤ .001). Caregivers of HIV-infected adolescents also reported lower scores of family functioning than those of controls (109.91 vs 114.98; P ≤ .001). Among the HIV-infected group, there was no or minimal correlation between the self-reported and caregiver-reported total scores of family functioning. However, there were moderate correlations between self-reported and caregiver-reported family functioning total scores in the control group. Overall, HIV-infected adolescents reported lower family functioning than healthy controls. Improved functioning in the family may help with better adjustment in perinatally HIV-infected adolescents.
Keywords: HIV infection; adolescents; family functioning; perinatal.