Abstract
D.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
Students living with HIV (SLHIV) have a myriad of challenges they are faced with
when dealing with living with HIV. These challenges add tremendous stress and
anxiety on the SLHIV which impacts negatively on their mental health and
subsequently result in an inability to cope effectively with living with HIV. SLHIV need
support to deal effectively with HIV and to help them overcome the challenges
related to the infection.
The aim of my research was to explore the experiences from the perspectives of
SLHIV and HIV practitioners dealing with them, in order to develop a model to
facilitate mental health of SLHIV. The following objectives were designed to achieve
the aim of the research, namely:
• To explore and describe, through Appreciative Inquiry, the experiences of being a
student living with HIV and an HIV practitioner.
• To identify, define and classify the central concept from results derived from
Appreciative Inquiry interviews.
• To describe a model and its implementation guidelines to facilitate mental health
of SLHIV.
The research study was approached from the Social Cognitive theory perspective as
described by Bandura (1989b, 1999), the Theory for Health Promotion as outlined by
the University of Johannesburg (2012), and the Self-Efficacy theory (Bandura,
1989a). A theory-generative, qualitative, exploratory and contextual design was
applied and selected as the most appropriate design to explore the experiences of
SLHIV and HIV practitioners. In order to develop a model to facilitate mental health
of SLHIV, I applied the four step model as prescribed by Chinn and Kramer
(2011:185-204)...