Abstract
D.Litt. et Phil.
This study explores the process of meaning-making for parents who have lost an adult
child where the cause of death was a stigmatised illness. In order to shed light on the
phenomenon under review, an investigation of existing research literature was
undertaken. A particular focal point in respect of the review as a whole, is the
exploration of how the experience of parental bereavement motivates the search for
meaning and the possible significance of this meaning in the continued life of the
bereaved parent. The review comprises an overview of theoretical approaches to
bereavement and the various factors which determine the grief experience. These
include an examination of factors surrounding the loss, personal factors and coping
skills, as well as an outline of familial, cultural and social aspects. A further focus of the
review, is on the process of meaning making especially with regard to death and
suffering. The review explores the issues of stigma and the process of stigmatisation.
How stigma attaches to an attribute and issues of disclosure are areas of focus, in
particular the effect of stigma in respect of HIV/AIDS.
The focus of the study is on the world of the lived experienced as it is interpreted by
participants in order to produce an understanding of the participants’ experience. Hence
the study is sited within a phenomenological framework. Six participants were
interviewed with the intention to act as informants who are able to give rich and
abundant descriptions of their experience. All participants have experienced the loss of
an adult offspring as a result of a long-term illness. The children of three of the
participants died as a result of an AIDS-related illness, which is currently a stigmatised
illness in South Africa, and the children of three participants have died as a result of
cancer, which is a long-term terminal illness which is not currently stigmatised in South
Africa. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. An interwoven analysis was
presented in order to identify the themes and experiences of such bereavement which
emerged from the transcripts. An attempt was made to understand how the various
phenomena relating to parental bereavement were reflected by participants in the
interviews. The study also sought to compare areas of commonality and divergence
between participants whose children have died from cancer and those who have died as
a result of AIDS, so as to present an integrated delineation of themes.
Finally the study presents a reflection of the experience of the researcher and
recommendations for therapeutic practice which arise from the conclusions of the study.
There is an evaluation as regards the strengths and limitations of the study and
recommendations for future research. The unique contribution of the study to the field of
psychology is also addressed.