Posttraumatic Growth and Transformation as Outcomes of Perinatal Loss

BackgroundFollowing previous perinatal loss, women in a subsequent pregnancy may experience heightened emotions, such as anxiety and fear, with a range of longer-term implications. To support these women, the Mater Mothers’ Bereavement Support Service in Brisbane, Australia, developed a Pregnancy After Loss Clinic (PALC) as a specialised hospital-based service. The present study investigated the experiences of mothers with previous perinatal loss in relation to: (a) their subsequent pregnancy-to-birth journey, and (b) the PALC service. Such research seeks to inform the ongoing development of effective perinatal services.MethodA qualitative interview-based research design was employed with a purposive sample of 10 mothers who had previously experienced perinatal loss and who attended the Mater Mothers’ PALC during their subsequent pregnancy in 2015. All mothers had subsequently delivered a live baby and were in a relationship with the father of the new baby. Women were aged between 22 and 39 years, primiparous or multiparous, and from a range of cultural backgrounds. Semi-structured interviews, conducted either at the hospital or by telephone by an experienced, independent researcher, lasted between 20 min and one hour. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with participant names changed. Interviews were analysed using content analysis by two researchers who were not involved in the service delivery or data gathering process.ResultsSeven themes were identified from the interview material: The overall experience, The unique experience of first pregnancy after loss, Support from PALC, Experiences of other services, Recommendations for PALC services, Need for alternative services, and Advice: Mother to mother.ConclusionsParticipants spoke positively of the PALC services for themselves and their families. Anxieties over their subsequent pregnancy, and the desire for other health professionals to be more understanding were frequently raised. Recommendations were made to extend the PALC service and to develop similar services to support access for other families experiencing perinatal loss.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-016-1200-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…This suggests a form of post-traumatic growth by which, over time, people learn to cope with and grow from their experience of grief (see [49]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Not just a normal mum”: a qualitative investigation of a support service for women who are pregnant subsequent to perinatal loss

Meredith

Wilson

Branjerdporn

et al. 2017

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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“…This concept refers to the process of transformation, which results in the occurrence of positive changes in self-perception, relationships with others and philosophy of life (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996, 2004. Transformation associated with bereavement has been conceptualized as a form of learning, which shapes assumptions and expectations about the world, rendering the bereaved person more inclusive, open, reflective and able to change (Black & Wright, 2012;Mezirow, 2003). It indicates that the shattered personal life resulting from such a negative experience as loss of a child provides the opportunity to make a transition towards growth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies have indicated the occurrence of positive changes among parents who have lost a child (Black & Wright, 2012;Büchi et al, 2007Büchi et al, , 2009Engelkemeyer & Marwitt, 2008;Lichtental, Currier, Neimeyer, & Keesee 2010;Martincekova & Klatt, 2016;Pan, Liu, Li, & Kwok, 2016;Polatinsky & Esprey, 2000;Thomadaki, 2012;Znoj, 2006). Calhoun, Tedeschi, Cann, and Hanks (2010b) stress that unexpected death, such as the death of a child, is less consistent with most assumptive world views than natural death, and as a result may lead to greater growth.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Posttraumatic positive changes among parents who have experienced the loss of a child – the role of social support

Ogińska-Bulik¹

2017

Health Psychology Report

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BackgroundIn addition to a number of negative consequences, the trauma associated with the loss of a child may also entail the development of positive changes in psychosocial functioning, manifested as posttraumatic growth. An important factor that promotes posttraumatic growth is social support. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between social support and the occurrence of positive posttraumatic changes resulting from trauma associated with the loss of a child.Participants and procedureThe study analysed a group of 76 persons who reported that the loss of a child (including perinatal and postnatal) was a traumatic event. The majority of respondents were women (55.30%). The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 62 years (M = 35.88, SD = 9.52). The following Polish versions of standardized tools were used: the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Significant Others Scale to measure social support, and the visual analogue scale to assess the intensity of the trauma.ResultsThe subjects revealed positive changes in all spheres of posttraumatic growth following the loss of a child, greater in the group of people who lost their child after birth. A positive relationship was found between almost all types of analysed social support (except for desired emotional support) and posttraumatic growth. The regression analysis revealed that received practical support fulfils the primary predictive role for posttraumatic growth.ConclusionsThe use of the assistance of others by persons who have experienced trauma may contribute to the occurrence of growth after trauma.

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“…Moreover, bereavement may induce spiritual change: as a life crisis it can challenge one's assumptions about human existence [ 7 ]. Although the death of a loved one may incur great distress and impair one's spirituality [ 8 ], it may also trigger psychospiritual transformation and facilitate spiritual growth [ 9 ]. Therefore, researchers should pay more attention to ways of improving the spiritual well-being of the bereaved.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Body to Mind and Spirit: Qigong Exercise for Bereaved Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Like Illness

Chan

Chow

et al. 2015

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Bereavement may bring negative impacts on the mind, body, and spiritual well-being of grieving persons. Some bereaved persons with chronic fatigue syndrome- (CFS-) illness experience a dual burden of distress. This study investigated the effects of bereavement on CFS-like illness by comparing bereaved and nonbereaved participants. It also adopted a random group design to investigate the effectiveness of Qigong on improving the well-being of bereaved participants. The Qigong intervention comprised 10 group sessions delivered twice a week for 5 weeks and home-practice for at least three times a week lasting 15–30 minutes each. The participants' fatigue, anxiety, and depression, quality of life (QoL), and spiritual well-being were measured at baseline and 3 months after treatment. The bereaved participants experienced significantly greater mental fatigue (16.09 versus 14.44, p = 0.017) and lower physical QoL (34.02 versus 37.17, p = 0.011) than their nonbereaved counterparts. After 3 months, the mental fatigue (−8 versus −4, p = 0.010) and physical fatigue (−10 versus −5, p = 0.007) experienced by intervention group had declined significantly, and improvements on their spirituality (14 versus −2, p = 0.013) and psychological QoL (8.91 versus 0.69, p = 0.002) scores exceeded those of the control group.

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Posttraumatic Growth and Transformation as Outcomes of Perinatal Loss

Cited by 20 publications

References 37 publications

“Not just a normal mum”: a qualitative investigation of a support service for women who are pregnant subsequent to perinatal loss

“Not just a normal mum”: a qualitative investigation of a support service for women who are pregnant subsequent to perinatal loss

Posttraumatic positive changes among parents who have experienced the loss of a child – the role of social support

From Body to Mind and Spirit: Qigong Exercise for Bereaved Persons with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Like Illness

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