title: Improving well-being through psycho-education among voluntary counseling and testing seekers in Nigeria: a controlled outcome study.
abstract: The present study evaluated the efficacy of an individualized psycho-education (PE) program in reducing psychological distress and risky sexual behavior and enhancing self-disclosure associated with an HIV diagnosis among attendees of a walk-in non-governmental voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) center in Nigeria. Ninety-four consecutive individuals were asked to complete a pre-counseling, baseline questionnaire detailing their sociodemographic characteristics, psychopathology, sexual practices, self-disclosure intention and coping behaviors. They were screened for HIV and post-test counseled. Sixty-seven individuals (72.2%) who tested positive were consecutively randomly assigned to one of two groups: a PE program (four 60-minute weekly manual driven sessions) (N=34) and a wait-list (WL) control group (N=33). The major outcome measures used were the Crown Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) (Beck et al., (1961), self-report sexual practices in past three months, self-disclosure intention and the brief COPE. At four weeks post-intervention, significant reductions on all measures as well as reduction in risky sexual practices were observed in the treatment group compared with the wait-list group. Treatment group members were also significantly more likely to disclose their serostatus and accept their HIV status as a way of coping, compared with the wait-list group. Overall, support was found for the efficacy of a manual-driven PE program for self-disclosure, reduction of depression and improvement in safe sexual practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Olley28@yahoo.com
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Olley
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome