CHILDHOOD BEREAVEMENT DUE TO PARENTAL DEATH FROM ACQUIRED-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-SYNDROME

Numerous articles stress the unique problems of mourning an acquired i mmunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related death and suggest psychotherap eutic interventions. However, no studies have been conducted that iden tify what differs in the grief process when the death was AIDS-associa ted and whether the extensive clinical and research literature on bere avement can be generalized to AIDS. This paper focuses on a bereaved p opulation that has suffered AIDS-related loss-the uninfected children of mothers who die of AIDS, a group that has been referred to as ''AID S orphans.'' We begin with a brief discussion of factors that complica te the grief process among those who lose a significant other to AIDS. Next we discuss the factors that the extant clinical and research lit eratures suggest may influence adjustment to parental death in childho od. Then we apply this literature to parental loss in childhood from a n AIDS-associated death. Finally we recommend directions for future re search.