Psychological outcomes following missed abortions and provision of follow‐up care
Abstract
This cross‐sectional study of 204 women who had experienced a missed abortion, diagnosed at 10–14 weeks of pregnancy, examined the availability and desirability of routine follow‐up care, and whether such care is associated with reduced psychological morbidity in the aftermath of miscarriage. Clinically elevated anxiety and depression were observed in 45% and 15% of women, respectively, and the mean score of grief was 2.52 which is similar to that observed in people who suffer death of a close relative. A follow‐up appointment after the miscarriage was thought to have been desirable by 92% of women but was offered to only 30%. No significant association between such care and reduced psychological morbidity was identified. However, there were significantly more women with clinically elevated levels of anxiety among those who felt that they were not provided with an opportunity to discuss their feelings during the follow‐up, suggesting that such a follow‐up either had a deleterious effect on women's psychological state or the distress itself led to such a perception of care. One‐third of women in our sample would have liked psychological counselling to help them deal with the emotional aspects of their loss. Copyright © 1998 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Only a small number of women who have experienced miscarriage receive routine follow-up psychological support.
“Although it is widely recognized that perinatal loss can lead to psychiatric disorders and CG, only a small number of the women who have experienced miscarriage receive routine follow-up psychological support.54”
From Complicated grief after perinatal loss (2012) · cites this paper as [54]
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“Although it is widely recognized that perinatal loss can lead to psychiatric disorders and CG, only a small number of the women who have experienced miscarriage receive routine follow-up psychological support.(54) As interventions typically aim to alleviate depressive symptoms, there seems to be little on offer for th…”
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- Authors
- Nikcevic, A. V., Tunkel, S. A., & Nicolaides, K. H.
- Affiliations
- Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine (GB)
- ORCID
- Nicolaides, K. H.
- Venue
- Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1998-02
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 123-128
- ISSN
- 0960-7692 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-0705
- OpenAlex
- W2087601082
- Cited by
- 69
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 2.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Repository (Kingston University London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Keywords
- missed abortion, miscarriage, psychological morbidity, anxiety, depression, grief, follow-up care, psychological counselling, emotional support, early pregnancy loss
- MeSH terms
- Abortion, Missed, Adult, Anxiety, Continuity of Patient Care, Counseling, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Grief, Humans, Middle Aged, Pregnancy
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