People Living with HIV/AIDS Crisis Intervention and Coping Skills:A Study in Hubli-Dharwad

HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening illness that people are afraid of contracting. The various metaphors associated with AIDS have also contributed to the perception of HIV/AIDS as a disease that affects "others," especially those who are already stigmatized because of their sexual behaviour, gender, race, or socio-economic status, and have enabled some people to deny that they personally could be at risk or affected. HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination is, therefore, the result of interaction between diverse pre-existing sources of fear of contagion and disease. HIV is a chronic illness that has Physical, Emotional, Social, Spiritual and developmental consequence. HIV positive peoples experience multiple crises. In this ever-changing course of HIV disease, including AIDS, represents a continuous series of unexpected stressors, requiring repeated crises intervention appropriate for people who are HIV infected. People with HIV may experience episodic trauma over the course of the illness and consequently move in and out of equilibrium. Crisis intervention should be offered at every hazardous juncture. The study has conducted on crisis interventions and coping skills among PLWHAs getting treatment in ART centre in Hubli- Dharwad Corporation Area. Dharwad, Karnataka is one of the high prevalent states. The descriptive method of study was used. The quantitative method employed in this study was simple statistics expressed in frequencies and percentages; which explains crisis and coping skills of the respondents. 290 PLWHAs clients consented to be in the study group.