title: Therapeutic commitment for general nurses in dealing with mental health problems of people living with HIV/AIDS in Blantyre, Malawi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Therapeutic commitment of general nurses influences their provision of mental health care to clients. It is the general nurses' predisposition for working therapeutically with clients who have mental health problems (MHPs). In Malawi, general nurses are the majority of health care professionals who care for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and they are expected to deal with the mental health problems of these patients. The provision of mental health care to PLWHA is vital because apart from the physical illnesses associated with the virus, these people are also affected by mental health problems. However, most general nurses, feel neither confident nor competent when dealing with the mental health problems of their clients in Malawi. This may negatively influence their therapeutic commitment in dealing with mental health problems of PLWHA. However, therapeutic commitment of general nurses in providing mental health care to PLWHA in Malawi remains unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a quantitative descriptive survey design. a convenient sample comprising of 136 general nurses was used and data was collected using Mental Health Problems Perception Questionnaire. Permission to use the tool in this study was granted by Prof. Lauder. Ethical approval to conduct the study was granted by Ethics Committees at University of KwaZulu Natal and University of Malawi. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 15.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study findings revealed that there is a linear relationship between general nurses' levels of knowledge and skills and their therapeutic commitment (r=.40, n=136, p<.05) to provide mental health care of PLWHA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests general nurses' levels of therapeutic commitment in dealing with MHPs of PLWHA vary and their levels of knowledge and skill to deal with MHPs influence their willingness to provide mental health care to PLWHA.
authors.affiliation: Kamuzu College of Nursing, Deptment of Community and Mental Health, University of Malawi.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chorwe-Sungani
authors.affiliation: Kamuzu College of Nursing, Deptment of Community and Mental Health, University of Malawi.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shangase
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*