Social Support and Subjective Assessment of Psychophysical Condition, Health, and Satisfaction with Quality of Life among Women after Pregnancy Loss

Abstract

Background: The task of modern medicine is not just to heal, but also to improve the patient’s well-being and achieve non-medical goals in the therapy process that enable effective physical, mental and social functioning of the patient. Social support in difficult situations mobilizes an individual's strength and resources to cope with problems. Research on social support and women’s condition after pregnancy loss reflects a holistic approach to the patient and is important from the perspective of increasing the level of hospital care. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of social support on the psychophysical condition, health, and satisfaction with quality of life among women after miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.Methods: The study was carried out among 500 patients after misscariage and 110 with ectopic pregnancy, hospitalized in hospitals in Lublin (Poland). The study was conducted with the use of a diagnostic survey with the application of the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS) and original survey questionnaire.Results: Respondents after miscarriage and those after termination of ectopic pregnancy assigned highest scores to the degree of perceived available instrumental support (respectively, miscarriage: M = 3.79, EP: M = 3.77), emotional support (M = 3.68, M = 3.65), and actually received support (M = 3.61, M = 3.57) (p < 0.05). Women after pregnancy loss assigned the highest score to the support obtained from their partner (respectively, miscarriage: M = 9.26, EP: M = 9.23), family (M = 9.09, M = 9.18), midwife (M = 8.70, M = 8.58), and friends (M = 8.49, M = 8.61) (p < 0.05). Social support was significantly correlated with the condition of patients hospitalized as a result of pregnancy loss (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Women hospitalized due to miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy assigned high scores to the level of perceived available instrumental, emotional, and actually received social support. There is a positive relationship between social support and subjective opinion about psychophysical condition, health and satisfaction with quality of life among women after pregnancy loss.

Perceived Partner’s Self-Control and Social Support Effects on Relationship Satisfaction in Couples Experiencing Infertility or Miscarriage: Dyadic Analyses

“…Spiritual support increases the coping capacity of couples experiencing infertility [ 121 ], and it is also very valuable after experiencing a miscarriage, where suffering and pain after the loss dominate. Religious feelings enable some bereaved women to cope better with the devastating effects of the loss of a baby through miscarriage [ 122 ], reducing the feeling of the irreversibility of death, explaining its meaning, and proposing rituals to help process the loss [ 123 ]. Similarly, reframing helps partners to redefine their traumatic experiences to make them more acceptable [ 124 ], both in the case of pregnancy loss [ 8 , 96 ] and infertility [ 117 , 125 ].…”

“…At the same time, the results emphasize the importance of acquiring social support for both partners. Adequate social support is essential for infertile couples and those who have experienced a miscarriage to increase their wellbeing in both the short and long term [ 123 , 146 ]. The more satisfied women are with the level of support they receive, the less likely they are to experience mental health problems [ 147 ] but also the greater their chance of better fertility treatment outcomes and the lower their risk of further miscarriages [ 13 , 148 ].…”