New understandings of fathers’ experiences of grief and loss following stillbirth and neonatal death: A scoping review

Jones, Kerry; Robb, Martin; Murphy, Sam; Davies, Alison

doi:10.1016/j.midw.2019.102531

Cited by 63 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…However, a low Cronbach's alpha was observed for the Toughness subscale of the MRNI. Although this measure of 'toughness' did not emerge as a signi cant predictor in any of the models in the current study, it may still be an important factor to consider, as a low alpha value may indicate that this measure did not adequately capture men's experiences of needing to be 'strong' or 'tough' as reported in previous qualitative studies [10,12,13,31,36]. Future research could explore alternative ways to measure this construct and assess whether it is important in explaining men's grief.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

“…Broader research on grief also demonstrates potential differences in grief styles for men and women, with a general classi cation made between instrumental (action-focused coping) and intuitive (emotionfocused coping) styles [27]. Following pregnancy loss and neonatal death, studies suggest that men may engage in more instrumental grieving styles, which includes using activities, distraction or problemsolving approaches to grief, as opposed to intuitive styles which use emotion-focused approaches including outward displays of crying, talking about grief, or seeking social support [9,16,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Obst

Oxlad

Due

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Historically, men’s experiences of grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal death have been under-explored in comparison to women. However, investigating men’s perspectives is important, given potential gendered differences concerning grief styles, help-seeking and service access. Few studies have comprehensively examined the various individual, interpersonal, community and system/policy-level factors which may contribute to the intensity of grief in bereaved parents, particularly for men. Methods: Men (N = 228) who had experienced an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly, or neonatal death within the last 20 years responded to an online survey exploring their experiences of grief. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the factors associated with men’s grief intensity and style. Results: Men experienced significant grief across all loss types, with the average score sitting above the minimum cut-off considered to be a high degree of grief. Eight factors significantly contributed to men’s grief: type of loss experienced, their age at the time of loss, loss history, marital satisfaction, availability of social support, acknowledgement of their grief from family/friends, time spent bonding with the baby during pregnancy, and feeling as though their role of ‘supporter’ conflicted with their grief process. Factors contributing to grief also differed depending on grief style. Intuitive (emotion-focused) grief was associated with viewing an ultrasound during pregnancy, ethnicity, and support received from healthcare professionals. Instrumental (activity-focused) grief was associated with time and quality of attachment to the baby during pregnancy, availability of social support, acknowledgement of men’s grief from their female partner, supporter role interfering with their grief, and tendencies toward self-reliance.Conclusions: Following pregnancy loss and neonatal death, men can experience high levels of grief, requiring acknowledgement and validation from all healthcare professionals, family/friends, community networks and workplaces. Addressing male-specific needs, such as balancing a desire to both support and be supported, requires tailored information and support. Strategies to support men should consider grief styles and draw upon father-inclusive practice recommendations. Further research is required to explore the underlying causal mechanisms of associations found.Trial registration: N/A

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Obst

Oxlad

Due

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Health professionals and the community ignore and disallow the father´s grieving for PD although it has been shown that PD does have repercussions for fathers [46]. It is necessary to determine the needs of fathers [51,52] and clearly recognize their grief [38,39,47,53]. Although the sample of fathers in this study as more limited than that of mothers, our study investigates the experiences and perceptions of both sexes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Worden included such environmental factors as "mediator 6: social variables" [36]. Although the individual implications of perinatal death on the parents [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] and the social support available to survivors [37] have been extensively investigated, there is a lack of research involving fathers [38,39]. Moreover, the impact of PD on the social environment and the extended family has been poorly investigated [40].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Perinatal Death on the Social and Family Context of the Parents

Fernández‐Sola

Camacho-Ávila

Hernández‐Padilla

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Background: Perinatal death (PD) is a painful experience, with physical, psychological and social consequences in families. Each year, there are 2.7 million perinatal deaths in the world and about 2000 in Spain. The aim of this study was to explore, describe and understand the impact of perinatal death on parents’ social and family life. Methods: A qualitative study based on Gadamer’s hermeneutic phenomenology was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 mothers and eight fathers who had suffered a perinatal death. Inductive analysis was used to find themes based on the data. Results: Seven sub-themes emerged, and they were grouped into two main themes: 1) perinatal death affects family dynamics, and 2) the social environment of the parents is severely affected after perinatal death. Conclusions: PD impacts the family dynamics of the parents and their family, social and work environments. Parents perceive that society trivializes their loss and disallows or delegitimizes their grief. Implications: Social care, health and education providers should pay attention to all family members who have suffered a PD. The recognition of the loss within the social and family environment would help the families to cope with their grief.

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“…Recently, three reviews were published in areas relating to men's experiences of pregnancy/neonatal loss. However, two of these were scoping reviews rather than systematic [48,49], and the other thematically synthesised only qualitative studies on men's lived experiences of miscarriage [50]. This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive summary and appraisal of existing qualitative and quantitative literature on men's grief, following both pregnancy loss and neonatal loss.…”

Section: Previous Literature On Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Nementioning

confidence: 99%

Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: a systematic review and emerging theoretical model

Obst

Due

Oxlad

et al. 2020

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

103

104

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Background: Emotional distress following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss is common, with enduring grief occurring for many parents. However, little is known about men's grief, since the majority of existing literature and subsequent bereavement care guidelines have focused on women. To develop a comprehensive understanding of men's grief, this systematic review sought to summarise and appraise the literature focusing on men's grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss. Methods: A systematic review was undertaken with searches completed across four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL). These were guided by two research questions: 1) what are men's experiences of grief following pregnancy/neonatal loss; and 2) what are the predictors of men's grief following pregnancy/neonatal loss? Eligible articles were qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods empirical studies including primary data on men's grief, published between 1998 and October 2018. Eligibility for loss type included miscarriage or stillbirth (by any definition), termination of pregnancy for nonviable foetal anomaly, and neonatal death up to 28 days after a live birth. Results: A final sample of 46 articles were identified, including 26 qualitative, 19 quantitative, and one mixed methods paper. Findings indicate that men's grief experiences are highly varied, and current grief measures may not capture all of the complexities of grief for men. Qualitative studies identified that in comparison to women, men may face different challenges including expectations to support female partners, and a lack of social recognition for their grief and subsequent needs. Men may face double-disenfranchised grief in relation to the pregnancy/neonatal loss experience. Conclusion: There is a need to increase the accessibility of support services for men following pregnancy/neonatal loss, and to provide recognition and validation of their experiences of grief. Cohort studies are required among varied groups of bereaved men to confirm grief-predictor relationships, and to refine an emerging socio-ecological model of men's grief.

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New understandings of fathers’ experiences of grief and loss following stillbirth and neonatal death: A scoping review

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Cited by 63 publications

References 39 publications

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Factors Contributing to Men’s Grief Following Pregnancy Loss and Neonatal Death: Further Development of an Emerging Model in an Australian Sample

Impact of Perinatal Death on the Social and Family Context of the Parents

Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: a systematic review and emerging theoretical model

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