Grief and coping post-pregnancy loss: a comparison between men and women

Northcott, Crystal (2014) Grief and coping post-pregnancy loss: a comparison between men and women. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Miscarriage is the most common pregnancy complication. The psychological effects of pregnancy loss may be experienced differently according to gender based on society’s concepts of maternal and paternal roles. The purpose of this cross-sectional, retrospective, correlational study was to determine if there are differences between men’s and women’s grief intensity and coping strategies post-pregnancy loss. Also, the potential influence of time since pregnancy loss, age, parenthood status, number of pregnancy losses, gestational age, and fetal ultrasound viewing status on the intensity of grief for men and women were explored. A convenience sample of 25 men and 41 women was recruited from health care facilities across the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, point biserial correlation, Chi-Square, and Spearman’s rank-ordered correlation as appropriate to answer the research questions. There was no significant difference between men and women’s grief intensity. Statistically significant results were found between men and women’s coping strategies. Men were more likely to use humor as a coping strategy (p ≤ .05) and women were more likely to seek support from others (p ≤ .05). Significant negative correlations were also found between men’s and women’s grief intensity and time since the most recent loss (p ≤ .05). Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between men’s grief intensity and fetal ultrasound viewing status (p ≤ .05). Implications of the study results for nursing practice, education, and research are discussed.

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