ABSTRACT
Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are characterized by a multitude of symptoms which still persist even with the advent of HAART and the goal of human existence is to be happy, free from pain and live a qualitative life. Hence, human beings employ different strategies to ensure the attainment of their goals. Coping is the name given to the strategies used to ensure that these goals are achieved. This study aims to assess the physical and psychosocial stressors related to HIV/AIDS as well as physical and psychosocial coping strategies adopted by People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Bauchi state. A cross sectional descriptive research design was used with a total sample of 384 PLWHA recruited through multistage sampling technique from eight ART centres in Bauchi state were interviewed using a questionnaire developed from the revised sign and symptoms checklist for HIV (SSC-HIVrev), HIV related social problem scale and Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI). The data collected was analysed using SPSS. Frequency tabulation, descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used, Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test relationship between variables at p-value of 0.05 or less. The results revealed that most of the participants were females (75.3%) with a mean age of 35.8years. Participants wereaffected by physical stressors; the most common symptoms were fever (77.1%), headache (69.8%) and fatigue (65.4%) in the physical dimension, worry/fear (60.9%) in the psychological dimension and loss of someone (57.3%) in the social dimension.The most commonly utilised physical coping strategy were consulting medical professional (Mean=2.10), using safe drinking water (Mean=1.82) and sleeping under insecticide treated net (Mean=1.64). The most commonly utilised psychosocial coping strategies were those categorised under problem focused coping strategies (cognitive restructuring (Mean=2.33), expressing emotion (Mean=2.22) and social support (Mean=2.09)). Correlation was seen between various subset of the coping strategies and sociodemgraphic characteristics; physical coping correlated with sex, marital status, level of education and religion at 0.05 and less whereas the subsets of psychosocial coping correlated with some of the sociodemographic characteristics. However, both the physical and psychosocial coping were found to be utilised. Based on these findings it can be concluded that despite the increasing access to ART manageable symptoms still exist and the respondent are utilising good and adaptive coping strategies. The assessment of these symptoms is essential alongside other virological outcomes as well as the coping strategies adopted to self-manage the symptoms.