Department of Nursing and Midwifery

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Browsing Department of Nursing and Midwifery by browse.metadata.advisor "Abrahaams, Naeema"

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    Psychosocial care of people living with HIV : the case of Tzaneen, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Mashele, Steven Charles; Joyner, Kate; Abrahaams, Naeema; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The overall objective of this study was to ascertain whether lay counsellors offer psychosocial counselling to clients at antiretroviral therapy clinics. The study was conducted at two clinics in the Greater Tzaneen municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa. The sample of 14 consisted of seven female lay counsellors and seven HIV positive clients, three females and four males, at Xihlovo and Nyeleti antiretroviral clinics. They were interviewed using 11-item and 12-item interview guides, respectively. Interviews were conducted in the local languages. Qualitative data were collected for the study. The data were audiotaped, translated, transcribed and then categorised into a thematic framework. HIV positive participants were found to be suffering from psychosocial consequences of living with HIV, such as shock, denial, anger and blame, fear of death, fear of disclosure, and intimate-partner violence. However, lay counsellors did not offer effective counselling that could relieve the psychosocial consequences. They instead used religion to console clients, discouraged clients from expressing their feelings, and minimised their clients’ concerns. It is recommended that lay counsellors be taught basic counselling theories as part of their training so that they are better able to screen their clients for psychosocial problems and provide basic counselling.