RECURRENT PREGNANCY LOSS: PSYCHOLOGICAL SEQUELAE AND COPING
Abstract
Recurrent pregnancy loss has received little attention in the research literature
despite being recognized as a source of distress. This study examined 126 participants
who were either in a recurrent pregnancy loss group (as defined by the ASRM guidelines
of 2 or more miscarriages occurring within the first trimester of pregnancy) or a nonpregnancy
loss community group.
This study tested the hypothesis that depression and anxiety symptoms, as
measured by the IDAS would be different for the group of persons that had experienced
RPL as compared to the community sample. It was expected that individuals who had
experienced RPL would have significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety than
the community group. This hypothesis was based upon the finding that elevated anxiety
and depressive symptoms are common, and major depressive disorder has been reported
at a rate of 10-50% following a miscarriage (Conway & Russell, 2000; LaRoche, et al.
1984). The findings failed to support this hypothesis.
The second hypothesis stated that coping styles, as measured by the COPE, would
be related to levels of distress as measured by the IDAS. Specifically, active-emotion-focused coping and avoidant coping would be related strongly to negative affect,
consistent with research by Folkman and Lazarus (1986), in which it was shown that
depressed individuals used relatively less problem-focused coping than non-depressed
individuals. Results from this study partially supported this hypothesis and the previous
findings.