The objective of the proposed research study was to answer the following research questions: Do clients in their respectful stages of diagnosis place more emphasis on certain psychological issues than others? And if so, can we identify the specific psychological issues that were considered to be most significant and unique across the stages of the HIV/AIDS continuum? To test these research questions, 37 homosexual men falling in three specific stages of the infection were surveyed. These three stages included: (1) HIV+ asymptomatic, (2) HIV+ chronic symptomatic, and (3) AIDS diagnosis. The HIV/AIDS Client Concern (HACC) questionnaire was developed to assess the significance clients placed on certain psychological issues and, was administered to all the subjects. The statistical analyses revealed that clients' level of diagnosis influenced how much emphasis they placed on what they considered to be significant psychological issues. More specifically, clients in the asymptotic group reported a higher concern with issues surrounding confidentiality of their HIV/AIDS status than the AIDS diagnosis group. The chronic symptomatic group, on the other hand, was significantly more concerned with issues regarding feelings of guilt/shame, shock, depression, fear, loneliness, and anxiety of infecting other people through casual contact than the other groups. In addition, the AIDS diagnosis group was most concerned with issues surrounding the planning of their future care in comparison with the asymptomatic group. A more detailed analysis of each questions' content and its significance as well as the implications such results have for both researchers and practitioners alike will be discussed.

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This survey was designed to identify the incidence and scope of depression, satisfaction with life, self-efficacy and perceived access to medical care for those who are infected with the HIV virus. It also determined whether or not factors such as sexual orientation, ethnicity and socioeconomic status are intervening variables with respect to mental health issues. Subjects were recruited through a purposive sample from South Florida. A total of 871 surveys were used in the analysis. The overall response rate was nearly 90%. The incidence of depression was found to be higher than 75% across all stages of HIV infection. Furthermore, the incidence of depression increased as HIV disease progressed. Satisfaction with life and for the most part, self efficacy were found to decrease slightly as HIV disease progressed. Significant variance in depression, life satisfaction and self efficacy were found across stages of HIV infection. No significant differences between groups that were HIV infected, were found for depression, life satisfaction and self efficacy. The severity of depression was found to vary significantly with self efficacy, life satisfaction and access to medical care but not with socioeconomic status. Life satisfaction was found to vary significantly with socioeconomic status, depression and self efficacy but not with access to medical care, Self-efficacy was found to vary significantly with socioeconomic status, depression and life satisfaction but not with access to medical care. Gender and ethnicity were not found to be significant precedent variables in depression for HIV infected individuals. Sexual orientation was found to be a significant precedent variable for depression, life satisfaction and self efficacy.

The South African HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached startling proportions in the last decade. Although the disease itself makes no distinction between age, race or gender, for a variety of historical, cultural, biological and socio-economic reasons, it currently affects more women, particularly black women, than men. Therefore this study examines the narratives of HIV positive, black, resource-poor, mothers who have gained access to free antiretroviral treatment. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of this treatment on their lives and how they cope with having HIV/AIDS. Their narratives were collected during interviews and then a modified version of Mauthner & Doucet's (1998) voice-relational method was used to analyse the data. The five transcripts were firstly discussed as separate stories, focusing on their background and the voice of I. Subsequently, six central shared themes were examined, these were: poverty, relationship with partner, stigma and discrimination, support, acceptance/religion, hope and strength. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

M.A. (Psychology) / The present study was undertaken in an attempt to understand and ascertain the nature and influence of psychological variables on the longevity of people who are infected withHN. The specific postulate of this study was that depression is the most important psychological variable that influences the longevity of people with my, either directly or indirectly. A number of variables were hypothesized to playa concomitant role with depression as factors that mediate longevity in people with my. These factors include learned helplessness, self-efficacy, sickness impact, sexual risk behaviors and substance use. The testing of these hypotheses involved an experimental group consisting ofHN positive, gay men who suffered from depression and a control group that consisted ofmv positive gay men who did not suffer from depression. None of the subjects had previously been diagnosed with depression. The subjects were subjected to testing of the mentioned psychological variables by means of the Hamilton-Depression Scale, the Attributional Style Questionnaire, the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, the Biweekly Record of Sexual Behavior, the Substance Use Behavior Questionnaire and the Sickness Impact Profile. It was found that the experimental group differed significantly from the control group in terms of self-efficacy, sexual risk behavior, substance use and sickness impact. It has been speculated that the lack of significant difference between the experimental and control groups on learned helplessness could imply that equal amounts of learned helplessness was present in both groups.

This pilot study aimed to contribute to the development of a methodology for researching various aspects of the relationship between HIV/AIDS and suicide in South Africa. To date, few systematic studies into this relationship have been conducted in South Africa. Specifically this study investigated the aspect of suicidal ideation in relation to HIV seroposivity, CD4 cell counts and social support. Although this study did not find increased suicidality in this sample of people living with HIV, the findings highlighted variables that may need to be studied in greater depth and outlined suggestions for further research methodology. Further research could indicate the extent to which suicide assessment and counselling is needed for people living with HIV/AIDS. This in turn could inform policy makers as to the inclusion of suicide assessment into the protocol for Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT). / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

This study explores the subjective experiences of persons who have been informed of a positive HIV antibody test and, from their point of view, explains the meaning and impact that HIV discovery has on their quality of life. In this qualitative narrative study, a racially specific, low-income sample of 10 HIV-infected men and women shared their stories of living with the virus during in-depth interviews. Findings of a multi-staged narrative analysis suggest that for people like those in this study, stigma associated with mv infection results in the concealment of the diagnosis by the individual for fear of being labeled as deviant from the rest ofthe community. Secondly, the tragic manner in which these respondents narrated HIV discovery signifies the negative impact the disease has on their quality of life. Lastly, there is evidence for the effectiveness ofthe primary health-care services on the HIV positive patients. Implications for these findings are elaborated. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2000.

The purpose of this study was to present and understand the experiences of HIV-positive lay counsellors working in Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) settings. Specifically exploring and understanding the utilisation of personal experiences within counselling encounters, the practice of peer counselling within VCT, and the challenges experienced by HIV-positive lay counsellors within VCT settings. This study, employing a qualitative interpretative phenomenological methodology required a small sample of practicing HIV-positive lay counsellors, who were selected and interviewed on their experiences utilising semi-structured interviewing. Data was analysed for meaning units, which were interpreted inductively and hermeneutically, and categorised into super-ordinate themes. Three superordinate themes within the participants’ experiences of providing VCT services were determined, namely: ‘diagnosis and disclosure experiences’, ‘peer counselling’, and ‘challenges’. This research found that the experiences of providing peer counselling depended upon identification with their client’s negative appraisal of their diagnosis experiences. Whether through empathic connections generated through the shared experience of discovering a seropositive status, or through countertransferential reactions induced through their client’s yearning for care and support. This required the counsellor to selfdisclose within counselling encounters in order to provide personal experiences of living with HIV/AIDS. Successful implementation of peer counselling provided recently diagnosed individuals with knowledge surrounding HIV/AIDS, coping skills to manage the daily physiological and psychological challenges, facilitation and adherence to treatment, social assistance, ongoing relationships, inspiring hope, and the creation of positive appraisals. However the informal utilisation of task-shifting within lay healthcare cadres, and the lack of governmental recognition for the emotional labour provided within VCT indicated that HIVpositive lay counsellors require ongoing training, support and remuneration to limit potential occupational stress, resignation, and burnout.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Background information: Persistent poor health outcomes among People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWH) is a concern for service users and the HIV care system. Since its discovery, different AIDS response strategies were implemented but the level of poor health outcomes among PLWH prompts the need for other dimensions in the AIDS response. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe ‘lived experiences’ of PLWH in order to utilise their personal experiences to develop a user- led intervention model. Methods: From a phenomenological orientation, an in-depth interview was used to gather data from seventeen PLWH who are living in communities. Purposive sampling was used to locate the participants. The compiled data collected was then analysed using the Collaizzi’s seven-step data analysis strategy. This was followed by a focus group discussion session which was held with nine of the seventeen participants. Findings: The study found that communities’ meaning of HIV and AIDS is outdated as it is still loaded with stigma and discrimination. Consequently, it alienates PLWH living in communities, and thus compounds poor health outcomes among PLWH. Many PLWH view themselves through their communities’ meaning of HIV and AIDS. the shared meaning of HIV and AIDS by communities created a complex task for PLWH to reconcile their prior meaning of living with HIV and the ‘new’ meaning they acquired post-diagnosis. Due to this, many PLWH experience high levels of intrapersonal and interpersonal challenges. Intrapersonal challenges manifest as self and anticipated stigma while the interpersonal ones result in poor relationships in different setting. It was also found that the availability of antiretroviral treatment significantly changed the meaning of living with HIV and AIDS for many PLWH as it provided tangible medical support to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS. In addition, the availability of different types of social support from family and non-family sources reassured and gave them hope for a better life. However, the availability of medical treatment and social support could not completely buffer the intrapersonal and interpersonal challenges experienced by PLWH in their daily lives. They had to continually fight for their social space post diagnosis through activation of two major coping strategies, namely emotion and problem-solving focussed strategies. Significant features of these strategies are that they changed their thinking patterns and engaged in actual activities to improve the quality of their lives. Through these strategies, many PLWH attained relative post traumatic growth. This study found that through their lived experiences, they command personal competence to guide user-led HIV care interventions as they clearly articulated the design, content and approach for user-driven HIV care. Conclusions and recommendations: The psychosocial dimension of living with HIV and AIDS in HIV care is not adequate as many PLWH who are in care experience poor health outcomes long after they have been diagnosed until they received psychosocial support from other PLWH. On this basis, a psychosocial seven-step user-led intervention model was designed to provide psychosocial education, care and support to PLWH, families, support groups and community mobilisation for HIV care. The implementation of a true psychosocial user-led intervention model in the continuum of care which recognises the interaction between the three dimensions of the health condition should be located at the point of entry into HIV care to ensure timeous access by PLWH and their families.

by Joe Chan Bing Hang. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-54). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; questionnaire in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / Chapter CHAPTER I - --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter CHAPTER II - --- METHOD --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER III - --- RESULTS --- p.29 / Chapter CHAPTER IV - --- DISCUSSION --- p.38 / REFERENCES --- p.48 / APPENDIX --- p.55