GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COPING FOLLOWING LOSS OF A CHILD THROUGH MISCARRIAGE OR STILLBIRTH: A PILOT STUDY

Parental grieving for the loss of a baby following miscarriage or stillbirth can involve intense emotional distress and have implications for the quality of the relationship shared by the grieving parents. Evidence suggests that a relationship may be placed at risk during the grief process, with different forms and rates of grieving between the couple creating barriers to effective communication and increasing feelings of vulnerability. Fifty-one adults who had experienced the loss of a baby as a result of miscarriage or stillbirth took part in this preliminary study to identify gender differences in coping strategies used by males and females in dealing with their loss. Results suggested not only gender differences in chosen coping strategies, but also differences between women depending on the type of loss experienced (ie miscarriage or stillbirth). While men tended to worry, use social support and ignore the situation, women were more likely to seek spiritual support, use tension reduction, wishful thinking and seek support from others who had experienced the same loss. A tendency to use self-blame was also evident in the responses of the female subjects, in particular women who had suffered a miscarriage.©1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.