Preliminary results from a longitudinal study assessing psychiatric disturbances in HIV-infected, school-aged children indicate that these children exhibit elevated levels of separation anxiety, depression and overanxious disorder. Whether similar results will be found in older HIV-infected children is not yet known. Research that can identify the coping resources, such as social support, family communication styles, hopefulness and quality of life, that 1) buffer the negative effects of stress on the mental health of HIV-infected children and 2) identify areas of vulnerability, would be important in our attempts to design early mental health interventions.