Psychosocial Challenges and Coping Strategies Among Adults Living with HIV in Ubungo Municipality, Tanzania: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) face numerous psychosocial challenges within the context of healthcare systems and the community where they live. This study aimed to describe psychosocial challenges and individual coping strategies among adults attending Care and Treatment Clinics (CTCs) in Ubungo Municipality, Tanzania.
Materials and Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at CTCs in Ubungo Municipality, an urban setting in Dar es Salaam. Data were collected through audio-recorded in-depth interviews with 10 purposively selected participants. Audio files were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.
Results: Difficulty in accepting HIV-positive test results, feeling desperate, fears of HIV disclosure, HIV-related stigma, and financial instability related to HIV infection were the main psychosocial challenges described by the participants. However, their main coping strategies included seeking social support, positive experiences from regular CTC attendance, adaptive coping, disregarding people’s comments, and seeking HIV-related information.
Conclusion: PLWH encounter various psychosocial challenges. Feeling desperate, fear of HIV disclosure, and HIV-related stigma are the main causes of psychosocial distress among people diagnosed with HIV. Changing the individual perspectives on these challenges through effective coping strategies can improve the quality of life for PLWH. The Ministry of Health, through the National AIDS Control Program, can design interventions focused on addressing these challenges. Future research should be undertaken to quantify the magnitude of these challenges and the coping strategies in similar settings.