Abstract
In Sub-Saharan Africa, adolescents who live with dying parents are recognized as vulnerable but research into their psychological needs is limited. A small qualitative retrospective study was undertaken in Uganda to gain insight into the prebereavement experiences of AIDS-affected adolescents. Unstructured interviews with ten parentally-bereaved adolescents were conducted and recorded. Following transcription, the narrative data were thematically analysed. The adolescents' level of awareness concerning the parent's illness affected their psychological needs. Four variations of awareness were identified and then categorized as concealed reality, disguised reality, discerned reality and disclosed reality. Most adolescents discerned that their parent was dying as the illness advanced, but they remained psychologically isolated and unprepared. Disclosure is advocated but must include ongoing emotional support and future care arrangements.
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