Marseille 2007
| Abstract #189 - Employment promotes resiliency in HIV positive persons! | ||||
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Session: 6.7: Posters A (Poster) on Monday in Chaired by Authors: Presenting Author: Mrs Sylette Henry - Caribbean Health Research Council, Trinidad And Tobago |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: To assess the impact of one's HIV positive status on work functioning and resiliency. | ||||
| Method / Issue: A sample of 69 persons aged 21-55 years was surveyed in a cross-sectional study using convenience sampling. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data while 7 persons were randomly selected and in-depth interviews conducted to obtain qualitative data. Mean trend of linearity tests and non-parametric tests were applied. Two summary measures were created to measure resiliency, self esteem and self optimism. A p-value 0.05 was considered significant. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Of the 69 persons interviewed, 32 were employed. Most of these persons, 19 (59.4) thought that their HIV positive status definitely did not have an effect on their ability to function effectively at the workplace. The ability to function at work effectively impacted on both resiliency measures, self esteem (p= 0.035) and self optimism (p= 0 .001). In contrast, the inability to work impacted on adherence to ARV medication. Persons expressed their frustration and reduced self acceptance when unable to be engage in a meaningful vocation. | ||||
| Discussion: Policies and conventions, such as the ILO workplace policy, must be enforced at every level of society. In providing a supportive environment to PLWHA in the workplace, there can be greater productivity and output from the individual and the organization. Simultaneously, HIV positive persons would continue to experience a healthy sense of self worth and self optimism. | ||||
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