A high percentage of Dominican parents/caregivers rated their HIV infected children as experiencing internalizing (anxiety, depression, somatic complaints) and externalizing problems (rule breaking and aggressive behaviour). Research needs to examine other contributing factors for the maladaptive behaviours such as socio-economic status, caregiver illness, caregiver education and parental loss.

The perception of 52 Dominican caregivers, regarding their HIV+ children’s (2–8 years) behaviour, was assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist. Caregivers perceived significant pathological internalizing behavioural symptoms in immunosuppressed children, and older female children were perceived as withdrawn/depressed.