UCLA

Background: The adolescents children of HIV-infected parents tend to have several psycho-behavioral challenges including functioning at schools and in their families. Objective of this study is to examine 1) the role of parenting style, parent's quality of life, and family functioning in self-esteem and emotional intelligence of HIV-affected adolescents in Thailand, 2) associations of perceived social support, emotional intelligence and self-esteem of HIV-affected adolescents with their stress, substance use, and sexual behavior, and 3) associations of parenting style, and emotional intelligence with functioning at school and in family.

Methods: This study used follow-up data from 173 Thai HIV-affected adolescents and their parents at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Exploratory factor analysis was used to develop indicators of adolescents' perceived social support. Mixed model analyses were used to examine associations among adolescent's and parents' characteristics.

Results: Adolescents' self-esteem and emotional intelligence were highly positively correlated. Adolescents with higher self-esteem reported higher parenting care style and better family functioning. Adolescents' emotional intelligence was positively associated with parents' quality of life and parenting care style but negatively associated with overprotecting parenting style. Adolescents having higher emotional intelligence reported lower level of stress and less alcohol drinking. Higher frequency of having alcohol drinking was positively associated with larger friend network and more social activities. Adolescents with better school functioning had a significantly higher score for emotional intelligence and reported more parenting care style. Adolescents' participation in their family activities was positively associated with emotional intelligence and overprotecting parenting style. Adolescents with higher negative family experience reported less parenting care style and lower emotional intelligence.

Conclusions: The role of parenting, quality of life and family functioning of parents in developing self-esteem and emotional intelligence of Thai HIV-affected adolescents has been demonstrated. Emotional intelligence plays important role on predicting stress and alcohol drinking behavior of HIV-affected adolescents and their functioning at schools and in families. To reduce psycho-behavioral challenges and improve adolescent's mental health and quality of life, interventions which target the family as a whole, promote appropriate parenting, improve adolescents' emotional intelligence, and encourage constructive friend and social activities are recommended.