REVISITING THE CONCEPT OF ANTICIPATORY GRIEF - IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN HIV AIDS

Developments in modern medical technology have brought about changes i n the causes of death, with the typical death from a disease, includin g HIV/AIDS, to be a relatively slow, progressive process. With a focus on developing therapeutic interventions health carers have developed a greater interest in the concept of anticipatory grief. However, the existence of discrepancies in the empirical evidence presented to supp ort its validity and, the unquestioning acceptance of the concept, hav e resulted in conceptual confusion and controversy within the literatu re concerning the effects of anticipatory grief on people's lives. Thi s paper critically analyses the concept of anticipatory grief and asse sses the relevance of current understanding of the concept to adequate ly explain the experience of individuals living with a life-threatenin g illness. The article also examines the validity and limitations of a nticipatory grief, identifies other factors associated with the experi ence of individuals anticipating a significant loss, and raises issues for further research.