Sometimes I Cry: The Experience of Loneliness for Men with AIDS

Abstract

Among the psychosocial dimensions of HIV disease, loneliness is worthy of examination. This study examines the way the accepted typology of loneliness – emotional isolation, social isolation, and existential loneliness – is revealed in the narratives of AIDS patients. The analysis of the narratives focuses on the meaning of story selection and story content, including plot, characterization, and cues for interpretation and demonstrates that the typology can be identified in first-person accounts as well as in quantitative studies. The nine plot lines, three for each loneliness category identified, extend and enrich the loneliness construct and suggest practical ways for caregivers to improve their care of people with AIDS.