**3. Methodology**

128 Social and Psychological Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Their Ramifications

and physical needs. With the exception of the most fundamental (physiological) needs, if these "deficiency needs" are not met, an individual's body gives no physical indication but the individual feels anxious and tense. Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before an individual strongly desires (or focuses motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs. Maslow also coined the term "Metamotivation" to describe the motivation of people who go beyond the scope of the basic needs and strive for constant betterment. "Metamotivated" people are driven by B-needs (Being Needs), instead of deficiency needs (D-Needs)(Wikipedia, 2011). For the purpose of this study, the psychosocial needs adopted comprise physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs, aesthetic needs and self-actualization as propounded by Maslow. Physiological needs include food, air and water; safety needs involve housing and security; belongingness implies social interaction and group affiliation; esteem needs involve high regard for self and others; aesthetic needs deal with love of beauty while self-actualization

Psychosocial support can be described as a process of providing for the emotional, social, mental and spiritual needs of clients or patients. It is an essential element of promoting human development. Support services are the social facilities which are available and provided by an organization or a community to those in need of such supports in order to assist them to live a good life. The supports can be grouped into spiritual, moral, social, psychological/counselling and financial supports. Spiritual support involves prayer and meditation, moral support implies identification with someone's concerns and encouragement, financial support connotes provision of monetary assistance while psychological support comprises guidance and counselling. In order to meet the needs of PLWHA, an emergency action plan was prepared by the National Action Committee on AIDS in 2001 with a view of institutionalizing best practices in care and support for Persons Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The plan was designed to mitigate the effects of the disease on the victims, orphans and other affected groups and stimulate research on HIV/AIDS (USAID, 2002). According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2011), psychosocial supports address the on-going concerns and social problems of HIV infected individuals, their partners and caregivers. WHO stressed that HIV infection affects all dimensions of the victims' life such as physical, psychological and social. The infection could result in stigma and fear for those living with the virus, as well as for those caring for them and the entire family. Infections often result in loss of socio-economic status,

WHO (2011) observed that counselling and social support can help people and their carers to cope more effectively with each stage of the infection and enhances quality of life. The organisation noted that with adequate support, PLWHA are more likely to respond adequately to the stress of being infected and are unlikely to develop serious mental health problem.The psychological supports provided by the patients' partners and their family members can assist them in making appropriate decisions, coping better with illness and

The community also has important role to play in assisting PLWHA. It could assist in adding quality to the life of HIV/AIDS patients through provision of economic, social and psychological supports. Thus, psychosocial supports for HIV/AIDS patients need to be

Amirkhanian, Kelly and McAuliff (2003) conducted a study on the psychosocial needs, mental health and HIV transmission risk behaviour among people living with HIV/AIDS in

involves becoming what one desires to be in life.

employment, income, housing, health care and mobility.

dealing more efficiently with discrimination.

scaled up and encouraged in any community.

The study is a descriptive survey which employed quantitative and qualitative measures to obtain data from the respondents. An estimated 2,365 patients living with HIV/AIDS at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria constituted the study population while all the literate HIV/AIDS patients (i.e. those who can read and write in English) at the hospital constituted the target population. The sample for the study comprised 125 HIV/AIDS patients who indicated interest in participating in the study. Thus, a purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study. The researchers explained the purpose of the study to the respondents and emphasised that it aimed at identifying the needs of HIV/AIDS patients in order to provide better services and supports. The researchers obtained the list of HIV/AIDS patients at the Teaching Hospital, identified the educated ones through personal data and interactions. The consents of the respondents were sought before the questionnaires designed for the purpose of the study were distributed to them. This was followed by a scheduled interview with 15 randomly selected respondents. The interview

Psychosocial Needs and Support Services

Fig. 1. Psychosocial Needs of Respondents

Source: Field survey, 2011

Psychosocial Supports

Source: Field survey, 2011

financial support.

Psychosocial Needs

Accessed by HIV/AIDS Patients of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria 131

**Needs**

**Support**

Fig 1 represents the respondents' psychosocial needs which are esteem needs, physiological needs, belongingness needs, safety needs, aesthetic needs and self-actualization. The figure shows that 120 (96%) respondents indicated physiological needs, 110 (88%) indicated safety needs, 103 (82.4%) indicated belongingness needs, 75 (60%) indicated esteem needs, 65 (52%)

Fig. 2 represents the support services accessed by the respondents which are social, spiritual, psychological, financial and moral. The figure shows that 117 (93.6%) respondents indicated spiritual support, 113 (90.4%) indicated moral support, 48 (38.4%) indicated social support, 25 (20%) respondents indicated psychological/counselling support while 35 (28%) indicated

**Spiritual Moral Social Psychological Financial**

indicated aesthetic needs while 102 (81.6%) indicated self-actualization.

Fig. 2. Psychosocial Supports Accessed by Respondents

was designed to obtain information from respondents on ways by which their needs could be met. In all, 125 patients voluntarily agreed to participate in the study after been assured of confidentiality. The instruments employed in carrying out the study are researchers' designed questionnaire and structured interview. The questionnaire has three sections. Section A elicits information on demographic data; Section B seeks information on psychosocial needs (i.e. esteem needs, physiological needs, belongingness needs, safety needs, aesthetic needs and self-actualization) while Section C contains items on support services (i.e. social, spiritual, psychological, financial and moral). In Sections B and C of the questionnaire, a list of 6 categories of psychosocial needs and a list of 5 support services were presented to the respondents respectively. The instruments were validated by three lecturers in the Departments of Sociology, Counsellor Education and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. The respondents were required to read through the questionnaire forms and indicate their responses by putting a tick (√) on any item that is applicable to them to indicate their psychosocial needs and the support services that are being accessed by them. Responses obtained were grouped on the basis of the number of respondents that ticked each of the items in sections B and C of the questionnaire and later converted to percentages. The percentages were also converted into bar chart as shown in Figs 1 and 2. The limitation of this study was manifested in the use of literate respondents as the study sample. This was designed to facilitate easy and proper understanding of the questionnaire.

## **4. Results**

Table 1 indicates that the majority of respondents are between the ages of 21-40 years old (44%). Majority are also females (53.6 %), holders of secondary education certificates (44.8 %) and married (41.6%).


Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of Respondents

Psychosocial Needs

130 Social and Psychological Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Their Ramifications

was designed to obtain information from respondents on ways by which their needs could be met. In all, 125 patients voluntarily agreed to participate in the study after been assured of confidentiality. The instruments employed in carrying out the study are researchers' designed questionnaire and structured interview. The questionnaire has three sections. Section A elicits information on demographic data; Section B seeks information on psychosocial needs (i.e. esteem needs, physiological needs, belongingness needs, safety needs, aesthetic needs and self-actualization) while Section C contains items on support services (i.e. social, spiritual, psychological, financial and moral). In Sections B and C of the questionnaire, a list of 6 categories of psychosocial needs and a list of 5 support services were presented to the respondents respectively. The instruments were validated by three lecturers in the Departments of Sociology, Counsellor Education and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. The respondents were required to read through the questionnaire forms and indicate their responses by putting a tick (√) on any item that is applicable to them to indicate their psychosocial needs and the support services that are being accessed by them. Responses obtained were grouped on the basis of the number of respondents that ticked each of the items in sections B and C of the questionnaire and later converted to percentages. The percentages were also converted into bar chart as shown in Figs 1 and 2. The limitation of this study was manifested in the use of literate respondents as the study sample. This was designed to facilitate easy and proper understanding of the

Table 1 indicates that the majority of respondents are between the ages of 21-40 years old (44%). Majority are also females (53.6 %), holders of secondary education certificates (44.8 %)

> 25.6 44.0 24.8 5.6

> 46.4 53.6

> 37.6 44.8 17.6

> 36.0 41.6 8.0 14.4

**Variables Frequency Percent** 

58 67

47 56 22

Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of Respondents

questionnaire.

**4. Results** 

**Age**  1-20 21-40 41-60

and married (41.6%).

61 and above

**Level of Education**  Tertiary Education Secondary Education Primary Education

**Marital Status** 

Single Married Divorced Widow

**Gender**  Male Female

#### Fig. 1. Psychosocial Needs of Respondents

Source: Field survey, 2011

Fig 1 represents the respondents' psychosocial needs which are esteem needs, physiological needs, belongingness needs, safety needs, aesthetic needs and self-actualization. The figure shows that 120 (96%) respondents indicated physiological needs, 110 (88%) indicated safety needs, 103 (82.4%) indicated belongingness needs, 75 (60%) indicated esteem needs, 65 (52%) indicated aesthetic needs while 102 (81.6%) indicated self-actualization.

Psychosocial Supports

Fig. 2. Psychosocial Supports Accessed by Respondents

Source: Field survey, 2011

Fig. 2 represents the support services accessed by the respondents which are social, spiritual, psychological, financial and moral. The figure shows that 117 (93.6%) respondents indicated spiritual support, 113 (90.4%) indicated moral support, 48 (38.4%) indicated social support, 25 (20%) respondents indicated psychological/counselling support while 35 (28%) indicated financial support.

Psychosocial Needs and Support Services

**8. References** 

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