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Therapeutic commitment for general nurses in dealing with mental health problems of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Blantyre, Malawi
Abstract
Introduction
Therapeutic commitment of general nurses influences their provision of
mental health care to clients. It is the general nurses’ predisposition for
working therapeutically with clients who have mental health problems (MHPs). In Malawi, general nurses are the majority of health care professionals who care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and they
are expected to deal with the mental health problems of these patients.
The provision of mental health care to PLWHA is vital because apart from the physical illnesses associated with the virus, these people are also affected by mental health problems. However, most general nurses, feel
neither confident nor competent when dealing with the mental health problems of their clients in Malawi. This may negatively influence their therapeutic commitment in dealing with mental health problems of PLWHA.
However, therapeutic commitment of general nurses in providing mental health care to PLWHA in Malawi remains unknown.
Materials and Methods
The study used a quantitative descriptive survey design. a convenient
sample comprising of 136 general nurses was used and data was collected
using Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire. Permission to
use the tool in this study was granted by Prof. Lauder. Ethical approval
to conduct the study was granted by Ethics Committees at University of KwaZulu Natal and University of Malawi. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 15.0.
Results
The study findings revealed that there is a linear relationship between
general nurses’ levels of knowledge and skills and their therapeutic commitment (r=.40, n=136, p<.05) to provide mental health care of
PLWHA.
Conclusion
This study suggests general nurses’ levels of therapeutic commitment in
dealing with MHPs of PLWHA vary and their levels of knowledge and skill to deal with MHPs influence their willingness to provide mental health care to PLWHA.
Therapeutic commitment of general nurses influences their provision of
mental health care to clients. It is the general nurses’ predisposition for
working therapeutically with clients who have mental health problems (MHPs). In Malawi, general nurses are the majority of health care professionals who care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and they
are expected to deal with the mental health problems of these patients.
The provision of mental health care to PLWHA is vital because apart from the physical illnesses associated with the virus, these people are also affected by mental health problems. However, most general nurses, feel
neither confident nor competent when dealing with the mental health problems of their clients in Malawi. This may negatively influence their therapeutic commitment in dealing with mental health problems of PLWHA.
However, therapeutic commitment of general nurses in providing mental health care to PLWHA in Malawi remains unknown.
Materials and Methods
The study used a quantitative descriptive survey design. a convenient
sample comprising of 136 general nurses was used and data was collected
using Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire. Permission to
use the tool in this study was granted by Prof. Lauder. Ethical approval
to conduct the study was granted by Ethics Committees at University of KwaZulu Natal and University of Malawi. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 15.0.
Results
The study findings revealed that there is a linear relationship between
general nurses’ levels of knowledge and skills and their therapeutic commitment (r=.40, n=136, p<.05) to provide mental health care of
PLWHA.
Conclusion
This study suggests general nurses’ levels of therapeutic commitment in
dealing with MHPs of PLWHA vary and their levels of knowledge and skill to deal with MHPs influence their willingness to provide mental health care to PLWHA.
