50 – Methodological Developments and Implications for Social Scientists
Longitudinal Dyadic Interdependence in Depression Symptoms of Caregivers Living with HIV in Uganda and their Dependent Children’s Neurodevelopment and Executive Behavior Outcomes
Atreyee Majumder
Visiting Nurse Service of New York
HIV affects the entire family. Depressive symptoms in the caregiver can place the child at risk for neurodevelopmental delays. Conversely, the relationship between caregiver depression symptoms and child neurodevelopment and behavior could be bi-directional due to the negative impact of the child’s behavior on family functioning and perceived parental competence of the caregiver, leading to an increase in caregiver depressive symptoms. Limited research has focused on these influences in Sub-Saharan countries, where pediatric HIV concentrates and impacts child’s neurodevelopment and caregiver’s mental health. Statistical methodology of longitudinal dyadic interdependence analyses has had limited applications in international health research. The primary aim of this investigation was to test a model of dyadic interdependence in depression symptoms experienced by female caregivers living with HIV in Uganda and behavioral problems of their HIV-infected and perinatally HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) children to determine if each influences the other.