Background: Death of a close family member is one of the most traumatic events in a person’s life. The way, in which this loss unfolds, varies from person to person and depends on how close you were with the deceased. It was unclear how youths experienced it to manage themselves during different stages of the bereavement process, after losing a near-family member to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).Aim: The aim of this study was to understand the self-management of youth following the unexpected loss of a family member to HIV.Setting: Khayelitsha, Western Cape province, South Africa.Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was followed, with an accessible population of youth who lost a family member to HIV. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 purposively selected participants after obtaining written informed consent. The sessions, held with an interview schedule, did not take longer than 45 min to conduct until data saturation was reached. A digital recorder was used and field notes held. Open coding was followed after transcribing interviews.Results: Individuals had different experiences during different stages of the bereavement process, not necessarily similar or following the same sequence. Individuals had to manage their guilt of being unable to do more before the family member passed away, struggling to realise that they have a future purpose, and hardship having fond memories.Conclusion: Youth find it difficult to view death as a natural loss of life and to manage themselves after the loss of their loved one to HIV.Contribution: The context-based information in this study confirms the importance of youth and self-coping and self-continuation to plan, organise and direct their future after the loss of a family member.

Background: There is a high incidence of depression in youth who are stressed, making them less likely to engage in active self-management strategies such as exercise due to the trauma of losing a family member. Youths visit public hospitals for various reasons, including panic attacks and anxiety, which are often experienced after the passing of a family member. The aim was to explore the lived experiences of youths on managing themselves after losing a family member to HIV/AIDS and develop guidelines for nurses to advise youths on self-management following the loss of a family member to HIV/AIDS. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was followed for a study at a Comprehensive Healthcare Clinic in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The sample was selected through purposive sampling until data saturation was achieved. Individual semi-structured interviews with 11 participants were conducted, after which data saturation was established. Results: Accordingly, based on the findings, the research developed guidelines that nurses can use to advise youths on self-managing themselves after the unexpected loss of a family member to HIV/AIDS. Conclusion: The youths need to practice self-management during unexpected situations to cope with the death of family members with HIV/AIDS. Nurses at the Comprehensive Healthcare Clinic can use the developed guidelines to assist youth on self-management.

Background Passing of a close family member is one of the foremost traumatic occasions in a person’s life. The way in which this misfortune unfolds, shifts from individual to individual, and depend on how close you were with the deceased. It was unclear on what were the support measures provided to youth after the loss a family member to HIV/AIDS. Aim The aim of this article is to understand the support measures for the youth following the unexpected loss of a family member to HIV/AIDS. Setting Khayelitsha, Western Cape province, South Africa. Method A descriptive phenomenological design was followed, with an accessible population of youth who lost a family member to HIV/AIDS. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 purposively selected participants after obtaining written informed consent. The sessions held with an interview schedule, did not take longer than 45 minutes to conduct until data saturation was reached. A digital recorder was used and field notes held. Open coding followed after transcribing interviews. Results Youths did not know how to manage themselves as a result of a lack of therapeutic sessions, which could provide emotional support and help them with their healing process. Conclusion Support measures for the next of kin were needed. Grieving influenced the emotions of an individual who experienced the burden of not having someone to speak to about their feelings. Contribution The context-based information in this study addresses the important of support measures to be provided or implemented for the next of kin after they had lost a family member.