EFFECTIVENESS OF HIV/AIDS-HEALTH LITERACY PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF INFORMAL CAREGIVERS OF PLWHAs IN IBADAN

Bosede A.Okunade & Ajibola A. Ishola

Abstract

Caregiving to PLWHAs causes burden and bring risks to informal caregivers. In Nigeria, majority of informal caregivers carry out their activities at home lacking sufficient information leading to increased burden, poor psychological wellbeing and loss of confidence among caregivers of PLWHAs. This study therefore developed a training package for the formal training of informal family caregivers and assessed the effectiveness of the psycho-educational strategy intervention on psychological well-being of informal caregivers of PLWHAs in Ibadan. The study adopted the 2 x 2 pretest-posttest control group quasi –experimental design. One hundred (100) informal caregivers of PLWHAs were selected using multi-stage sampling technique from the population of informal caregivers attending two (2) Non-governmental approved HIV/AIDS support and counseling centers formally screened using Zarit Burden interview. Fifty (50) participants each were randomly assigned into psycho-education and control groups. A questionnaire containing Psychological wellbeing (α.75) and socio-demographic profile was utilized in the study. Data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics and Factorial Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. Results demonstrated that there was significant effect of psycho-educational intervention on the psychological wellbeing [F_(1,97)= 68.90, η² = .43] of PLWHAs caregivers. Psycho-education group expressed better psychological wellbeing and higher caregiving self-efficacy than the control group. Gender differences and the moderating role /effect of caregiving stress were not significant in the study. Psycho-educational strategy intervention was demonstrated to improve psychological well-being and caregiving self-efficacy of caregivers of PLWHAs in Oyo State. The study recommends that caregivers’ based psycho-education training be inculcated in HIV/AIDS care services across Nigeria for informal caregivers of PLWHAs.