PARENTING STRESS AMONG WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV – A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

Macintosh et.al (2012) states that “HIV/AIDS is considered to be a family disease and it is considered as one of the major factors affecting women”. The HIV/AIDS epidemic impacts the lives of women in a unique way precipitates the integration of a host of strategies to face a range of stressors within and outside the biological context of the disease, stress is the process that occurs in response to events that disrupt, or threaten to disrupt, in physical and psychological functioning. Mental health issues are major factors in most of the HIV cases. Parenting stress is a complex issue which is confounded by many psychosocial factors. Parenting is an important task. According to Rodgers (1998), parentings stress both directly and indirectly affect parenting behaviour. Anderson (2008) found that parents with poor health reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress than healthier parents. The present study focuses on mothers living with HIV. Case study analysis was used to assess the parenting stress among mothers living with HIV. Poverty, stigma and their own health care needs make parenting more stressful and challenging in meeting everyday life situations