A Comparative Study Of

Bereavement Between Aids

Related And
Non-aids Related Deaths
Sherona Rawat
Dept. Of Psychology,

University Of Zululand
 Introduction
• 2002 total estimate of 2.4 million deaths due to
HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• 550 000 were children under the age of 15 years.

• Statistically thousands of lives being lost each year to

HIV/AIDS.

• Past preventative educational programs have not been

successful.
 Purpose
• Whether bereavement due to HIV/AIDS is different
from other forms of bereavement.

• Develop interventions targeted at bereaved

parents/caregivers suffering from loss of loved one due
to AIDS.

• Interested in the grieving process of parents/caregivers

whose children who have died of HIV/AIDS compared
to other causes of death.
 Background
• Process of bereavement.
• Culture.
• Social expectations and parameters.
• Marital discord.
• HIV/AIDS significant impact on grieving process of
sufferers.
• Discomfort and avoidance of the dying and the bereaved
intensified when the death involves a child.
• Death of a child represents a loss of future experiences.
• Significant adjustment problems associated with the loss of
children for grieving parents/ caregivers.
 Key Terms
• Mourning.
• Psychoanalytic perspective of mourning.
• Tasks of mourning.
• Stages of dying.
• Grief.
• Kinds of Grief.
• Normal responses to grief.
• Resolution of grief.
• Unresolved grief.
• Factors affecting the grieving process.
• Nature of death.
• Attachment style between the child & the parents/caregivers.
• Individual psychological reactions.
• Individual’s religious orientation and level of spirituality.
 Methodology
• Population.
– Six mothers and two fathers aged between 36 and 64
years.

– Six parents/caregivers shared a home and two were

divorced, separated or lived apart due to economic
reasons.

– One was a single parent lived with an extended

family.
 Methodology Continued
• Sampling.
– Purposeful sampling-.
• Selection of units is based on a previously specified
purpose.

• Involves conscious selection by the researcher of

certain subjects / elements to include in the study.

• Sample comprised of parents/caregivers of

deceased children.
 Methodology Continued
• Instrumentation.
– Open-ended Interview.

– The researcher found it necessary to oscillate between an

open-ended and semi-structured approach to the interview.

– The questions probes and prompts were rather incorporated

into the natural flow of the conversation.

– The interview followed the parent/caregivers individual

process.
 Data Analysis
• Grounded Theory.
– Emphasizes the concept of emergent data.
– Allow the theory to emerge while observing codes and analysis of data.
– Open coding ,axial coding & selective coding .
• Constant comparison.
– Refers to the process of linking, exploring and questioning the
similarities/differences between different parts of datasets.
• Limitations.
– Participants included in the study from the Highway Hospice, Westville,
Durban.
– Difficult to generalize the findings of the study.
– Varied venues for interviews.
 Results and Implications.
• Effect of HIV/AIDS on bereavement.
– Lack of social support.
– Stigma.
– Guilt arising from religious belief.
– And guilt regarding responsibility for infection with HIV.

• Implications of results.
– Development of new interventions.
– Development of treatment programs.
– South African context.
– Better service provision.
– Improved treatment outcomes within the community.
 Conclusion
• Bereavement experiences directly related to stigma attached to
HIV/AIDS.

• Psychological, social, economic or environmental factors affecting the

bereaved.

• Grief over loss of a child never reconciled, transformed into shadow grief
(a milder, less active form of grief).

• Regrets and comments by parents/caregivers hint at lack of guidance,

knowledge and structured management programs.

• Highly recommended- programs designed to address the individual needs

of South Africans in the management of bereavement.
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