Invisible Grief: Young Adults’ Reflections on Losing a Parent to AIDS During Adolescence

ABSTRACT:

Children who lose a parent to AIDS-related complications often experience grief shaped by stigma, secrecy, and social isolation. Although the biomedical aspects of HIV/AIDS have been widely documented, far less attention has been given to the long-term psychological consequences for children who carry this loss into adulthood. This qualitative phenomenological study explores how young adults reflect on losing a parent to AIDS during adolescence and how this experience continues to influence emotional well-being, identity development, coping strategies, relationships, and spirituality. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 who experienced parental loss to AIDS-related complications between the ages of 10 and 19. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis guided by the Transactional Stress and Coping Model. Findings revealed persistent sadness, unresolved grief, anger, stigma and discrimination, loneliness, substance use, and enduring negative self-beliefs. Participants described how secrecy and stigma restricted opportunities for open mourning and emotional support, contributing to prolonged distress into adulthood. Despite these challenges, many participants demonstrated resilience, meaning-making, and post-traumatic growth through faith, education, and advocacy. The findings underscore the need for trauma-informed, stigma-sensitive interventions that extend beyond childhood and address the unique needs of adolescents and young adults affected by AIDS-related parental loss.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, AIDS-related parental loss, grief, young adults, stigma, resilience, coping strategies, psychological well-being