Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has become the world's foremost
health threat and is the number one killer in Zimbabwe. Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome impacts not only the individual who has AIDS, but on nuclear and extended
families, and all aspects of society in Zimbabwe. Since studies have indicated that
counseling could be an effective tool in preventing the spread of Human Immuno
Deficiency Virus (HIV) and helping those who are already impacted by the virus, it would
be important for counselors to be knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS and have positive
attitudes towards people with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to
investigate eight practicing Zimbabwean counselors' attitudes towards and knowledge of
HIV/AIDS. Additionally, the study explored the emotions the counselors experienced
while counseling HI V/AIDS clients, their beliefs about the origin of HI V/AIDS, and their
perceptions about HI V/AIDS counseling in Zimbabwe.
Eight practicing counselors in Zimbabwe participated in this study. A mixed
method Model III with a sequential exploratory design was used amid phenomenological
underpinnings. The counselors provided information through a mailed (electronic mail)
questionnaire and telephone interviews. Follow-ups to the interviews were carried out
through the electronic mail.
Results indicated that the counselors in the study were generally knowledgeable
about HIV/AIDS, had positive attitudes toward people with HIV/AIDS, and did not think
that the origin of HIV/AIDS was important and that it was better to focus on the solutions
to the problem. The counselors experienced a wide variety of feelings while counseling
HIV/AIDS clients. The counselors reported more negative than positive feelings, but most
of the feelings were not directed toward the client. The counselors revealed that HIV/AIDS
counseling was complex and difficult. The counselors thought counselor training in
Zimbabwe was too limited and that counselors in Zimbabwe in general lacked both support
and supervision services. Despite the difficulties of, and the lack of support and
supervision, the counselors found meaning in counseling HIV/AIDS clients. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/30479 |
| Date | 21 November 2003 |
| Creators | Richards, Kimberly A. |
| Contributors | Ingram, Michael A. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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