Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER of ARTS in Community Work in the Department of Social Work at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2003. / This study is about the attitudes of primary care givers who are caring for HIV/ AIDS orphans in the Ingwavuma area. As an evaluative research semi-structured interviews were conducted. A sample of -twenty primary care givers was drawn, 10 files were drawn from the Department of Welfare and Population Development Office and 10 files were drawn from the local non-government organisation called Ingwavuma Orphan Care. Permission to use departmental files was sought from the department concerned. Related literature that focuses on a HIV/AIDS and Orphanhood has been reviewed. Various recommendations have been made based on the findings of the study. The findings indicate that a need exist for training on parenting and coping skills. HIV/AIDS orphans need to be involved in counselling especially on trauma counselling, this can help a lot in improving the relationship between primary care givers and vulnerable children.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology, University of Zululand, 2011. / Compassion fatigue and burnout have the potential to compromise the ability of caregivers to work effectively, while compassion satisfaction may serve a protective function. This study investigated levels of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction among caregivers, and explored relationships between these and caregivers’ personal attributes. Eighty-three caregivers working in the field of HIV and AIDS in the uMngeni Municipality in the Kwa Zulu-Natal midlands completed two self-report questionnaires, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL, Stamm, 2009), and another regarding their personal attributes. Respondents showed an overall pattern of relatively high Compassion Satisfaction, average level of Burnout, and a very high level of Secondary Traumatic Stress, a profile usually associated with people working in situations of armed conflict. Compassion Satisfaction was negatively correlated with Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress, while Burnout was positively correlated with Secondary Traumatic Stress. Significant effects were found with the following personal attributes: (1) gender; (2) role clarity; (3) perceived efficacy; (4) secondary stigma; (5) social support; (6) personal history of HIV or AIDS; (7) access to counselling or therapy; (8) organisational support; and (9) self-care. Implications of these findings are discussed with reference to sustainable care, intervention and further research.