Parameters of grieving in spontaneous abortion

Abstract

Objective: The study's objective was to determine the quality and severity of grief after spontaneous abortion and to statistically determine the effect of significant demographics and social variables such as age, number of previous losses and the effect of perceived family support on the grief experienced.

Methods: Two hundred and ninety-four women who had experienced a miscarriage within the last year were the participants. One hundred and seventy-five had miscarried three months prior to participation in the study; one hundred and nineteen had miscarried one year previously. Ninety-five percent of women approached consented to participate. Standardized psychometric tests and Likert Scales measured elements of grief such as depression, self-esteem, perceived guilt and stress at two time periods in the first year after loss.

Results: Women in both time periods after miscarriage had mean depression scores in the "clinical risk for depression" or "in need of treatment" range, i.e., pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy. A majority of women showed negative emotions like self blame and stress. Younger women with multiple miscarriages showed more depression in the early time period after miscarriage than older women (p < .05). However, at one year younger women had the least depression. Marital and family conflict correlated positively with depressive symptomatology (p < .05).

Conclusions: Women assessed in the first year after spontaneous abortion show grief characterized by perceived stress and high levels of depressive symptoms including self-blame. Marital or family problems increase emotional risk to a woman after miscarriage.