Partner Abuse and HIV Infection: Implications for Psychosocial Adjustment in African American Women

A prospective study of the effects of partner abuse among HIV-infected and noninfected African American women (N = 137) revealed that there were both concurrent and longitudinal effects of abuse on several indices of psychosocial adjustment. Specifically, higher levels of both verbal and physical abuse were found among the HIV-infected group. In addition, the effects of abuse on suicidal ideation were significantly stronger among the HIV-infected group (n = 53) than among their demographically similar noninfected counterparts (n = 84), resulting in significant HIV status by partner abuse interactions. The findings of this study advance our understanding of intimate relationships with regard to partner abuse by examining a group of women at high-risk for abuse, yet understudied in both the HIV/AIDS and relationship literatures.     

Parent-adolescent conflict and stress as a parent: Are there differences between being a mother or a father?

Parent-adolescent conflict is viewed as a common dimension of the family during the teenage years. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether mothers and fathers of young adolescents differ in their report of conflict with their adolescent, level of stress, and parenting competence. Furthermore, the role of age and gender of the young adolescents was examined. One hundred and twenty-two adolescents and their parents participated in the study. All families were intact. The families were divided into groups according to the adolescent's age and gender. Analyses of variance with three factors (adolescent's age, adolescent's gender, mothers versus fathers) were performed. Mothers and fathers did not differ on personal (depression) or marital adjustment and on perceived parenting competency. In contrast, in terms of parent-adolescent conflict, mothers reported a less positive relationship, a greater number of conflicts, and more intense discussions of conflicts with their adolescents. Gender and age of the adolescent were not important contributors to the analyses. The results suggest that, in terms of the variables examined in this study, conflict in the parent-adolescent relationship is the primary difference between mothers and fathers.