Factors influencing the capacity of extended families to provide psychosocial support to AIDS orphans

Abstract

Statistics on HIV/AIDS are alarming. Very little is known about how communities are actually coping with this disease and what methods seem to be working to empower them to deal with it.

Psychosocial distress is one of the dimensions of the impact of AIDS on children and families, and stresses the necessity to enhance the capacities of extended families and friends to be able to deal with these psychosocial issues.

Using qualitative research and a case study as the strategy of inquiry, this dissertation of limited scope explores and describes the factors influencing the capacity of extended families in providing psychosocial support to AIDS orphans.

A literature study was done to give a theoretical overview on the following aspects: * AIDS orphans * The extended family and HIV/AIDS

To reach the first objective of this study, an empirical study was done and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain information from four extended families in the Mukwe area of the Kavango Region in Namibia.

The literature study and the empirical study enabled the researcher to draw conclusions on the factors which influence the capacity of extended families to provide psychosocial support to AIDS orphans.

The information was analysed, interpreted and published in this research report so as to reach the other objectives of this study.