Examining the Impact of Parental Disclosure of HIV on Children: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis examined the impact of a mother's decision to disclose her HIV positive serostatus to her children. Results indicated that disclosure to a child improves the parent-child relationship (average r = +.171). There was a corresponding increase in internalized negative emotions (average r = +.108) and negative externalized behaviors (average r = +.088). The data suggested little correlation with scholastic achievement (average r = +.008). Petronio's Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory provided a framework for understanding these contradictory findings, suggesting that the construction and management of boundaries are critical to mitigating the outcomes associated with disclosure processes.