Effect of Group Counselling on the Psychological Adjustment of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Central Senatorial Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the extent of difference to which people infected with HIV/AIDS adjust psycho-socially when exposed to group counselling as opposed to the one-on-one individual counselling, using the central senatorial zone of Cross River State, Nigeria as the study area. Two null hypotheses were formulated and data for their testing generated from a 15-items questionnaire developed by the researcher. The instrument was validated and tested for reliability by experts in measurement and evaluation in Cross River University of Technology, Calabar. The instrument was then used in generating data from 120 HIV/AIDS patients in three major government healthcentres in Obubra, Ikom and Yakurr local government areas/cluster of study area (60 males and 60 females). The ex-post facto research design and cluster, purposive and random sampling procedure was used. Data was analysed using the Pearson product moment correlation and independent t-test analysis procedures. It was revealed that: group counselling significantly relate to the psychosocial adjustment of people living with HIV/AIDS, and that the more the group counselling, the better the psychological adjustment of the people living with HIV/AIDS. More so, there was a significant difference between HIV/AIDS patients exposed to group counselling and those exposed to individual counselling. It was concluded that group counselling exerts higher and better significant affect on the psychosocial adjustment of people living with HIV/AIDS than individual counselling. Some counselling strategies were projected.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3v2p377