impact of care and social support on wellbeing among people living with hiv/aids in nigeria

background: availability of antiretroviral therapies has transformed aids into a manageable chronic condition and im­proved well-being among people living with hiv/aids (pha) in developed countries. in developing countries however, such transformations are yet to occur due to socio-economic, systemic and environmental constraint. this study examined the impact of social, economic, psychological and environmental factors on health and wellbeing among pha living in south­west nigeria. methods: using qualitative participatory methodology, 50 hiv positive people, 8 health personnel and 32 care providers were interviewed to explore how care and social support affect wellbeing among pha in view of constraints to accessing antiretro­viral drugs. analysis of data used the grounded theory (gt) approach to identify themes, which are considered cru­cial to the wellbeing of pha. results: the findings highlight several factors, apart from antiretroviral drugs, that impact the wellbeing of pha in south­west nigeria. these include concerns about deteriorating physical health, family and children's welfare, pervasive stigma, finan­cial pressures and systemic failures relating to care among others. we describe how psychosocial and social support struc­tures can considerably contribute to improving health outcomes among them because of how they affect the function­ing of immune system, self-care activities and other illness behaviours. conclusion: we recommend that interventions should address the psychosocial, socio-economic and other systemic issues that negatively influence the wellbeing of pha and governments need to strengthen the policy environment that empowers pha support groups.