Personality Life Positions of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya

Author(s): Emily Chepngetich Sitienei

HIV infection presents the victim with a broad range of personal psychosocial challenges that may transform their lives negatively. The pandemic can shift individual?s personality life position from adaptive/healthy position to incongruent and maladaptive personality life position. This is due to the fact that personality is subject to change depending on life experiences. The purpose of this study was to assess personality life positions of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This study used a total of 75 HIV/AIDS positive participants out of which, 50 participants had attended psychological counseling for more than 12 sessions while 25 had not attended counseling at all. The study established psychological counseling has significant effect on changing the personality life positions of PLWHA especially those going through a lot of stress in trying to accept the reality of life. The study suggests that PLWHA should utilize psychological counseling in order to overcome maladaptive personality life position and live a normal irrespective of their current status.