Applicability of general grief theory to Swedish women's experience after early miscarriage, with factor analysis of Bonanno's taxonomy, using the Perinatal Grief Scale

Abstract

BackgroundGrief is a normal phenomenon but showing great variation depending on cultural and personal features. Bonanno and Kaltman have nonetheless proposed five aspects of normal grief. The aim of this study was to investigate if women with miscarriage experience normal grief.Material and methodsContent analyses of 25 transcribed conversations with women 4 weeks after their early miscarriages were classified depending on the meaning-bearing units according to Bonanno and Kaltman's categories. In the factor analyses, these categories were compared with the Perinatal Grief Scale and women's age, number of children and number of miscarriages, and gestational weeks.ResultsWomen with miscarriage fulfill the criteria for having normal grief according to Bonanno and Kaltman. All of the 25 women had meaning-bearing units that were classified as cognitive disorganization, dysphoria, and health deficits, whereas disrupted social and occupational functioning and positive aspects of bereavement were represented in 22 of 25 women. From the factor analysis, there are no differences in the expression of the intensity of the grief, irrespective of whether or not the women were primiparous, younger, or had suffered a first miscarriage.ConclusionWomen's experience of grief after miscarriage is similar to general grief after death. After her loss, the woman must have the possibility of expressing and working through her grief before she can finish her pregnancy emotionally. The care-giver must facilitate this process and accept that the intensity of the grief is not dependent on the woman's age, or her number of earlier miscarriages.

Psychiatric symptoms and pregnancy distress in subsequentpregnancy after spontaneous abortion history

“…A longitudinal study reported a significant proportion of patient’s psychological morbidity shortly after spontaneous abortion 4. The majority of women experience grief, depression or both after spontaneous abortion 5. Some women also experience anxiety, anger, posttraumatic stress, and guilt about future childbearing 6.…”

Women’s well-being improves after missed miscarriage with more active support and application of Swanson’s Caring Theory

“…All personnel must be knowledgeable of the symptoms of nonviable pregnancy to achieve this level of consistency. All responsible personnel should be educated in the normal grief reaction that patients experience following a miscarriage 8,9. Personnel in the health care chain now see a miscarriage as a significant event in the health and well-being of the patient 14,17…”

Kvinnors upplevelser av tidig graviditet, efter att ha upplevt ett eller flera missfall tidigare i livet

“…På senare år har forskningen runt upplevelsen av missfall kommit fram till att många kvinnor sörjer sitt blivande barn vid ett missfall, på samma sätt om de skulle sörja en avliden anhörig (3). Kvinnan undrar varför missfallet uppstod och kan skuldbelägga sig själv, eftersom det är hennes kropp som avbryter graviditeten (4).…”