Experiences of a Loss of a Parent to AIDS During Adolescence on Young Adults

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to be a major healthcare issue for many countries, including the United States. Millions of adolescent children under the age of 18 have lost 1 or both parents to AIDS-related complications. The death of a parent to AIDS-related complications is severe; however, limited data describes how this type of death affects adolescents after they have become young adults. It is important to determine how these adolescents are affected by exploring their lived experiences of losing a parent to AIDS-related complications. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences associated with losing a parent to AIDS-related complications during adolescence and how it may or may not have a significant impact on individuals as young adults. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the transactional stress and coping model that emphasizes appraisal of the threat of harm and the challenges to coping with stressful events. After conducting interviews with 8 participants, I coded, grouped, and analyzed the interview data into themes. The results yielded themes such as anger, sadness, substance abuse, negative judgement, self-isolation, loneliness, grief, stigma/discrimination, and availability of resources. The 3 most prominent themes shared among all participants were sadness, stigma/discrimination, and negative beliefs. The results of this study will help communities understand how to address individuals who have experienced such a loss and how to assist them in addressing their current needs resulting in positive social change