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Cited by 28Grief, Bereavement, and Mental HealthGlobal Maternal and Child HealthMaternal and Neonatal Healthcare

Supporting parents following pregnancy loss: a cross-sectional study of telephone peer supporters

Open access
Boyle, Frances M., Mutch, Allyson J., Barber, Elizabeth A., Carroll, Christine, Dean, Julie H.·2015·BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
DOI 10.1186/s12884-015-0713-yPMC PMC4640395
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: The death of a baby before or soon after birth can place an enormous psychological toll on parents. Parent support groups have grown in response to bereaved parents' unmet needs for support. Peer support is the hallmark of these organisations but little is known about the experiences of volunteers who provide support. This study examines the perceptions and experiences of parent support group volunteers who deliver a 24-h telephone support service for the Australian Stillbirth and Newborn Death Support (Sands) organisation in order to inform the ongoing development and sustainability of effective peer support. This parent-led organisation has delivered support to those affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death for more than 30 years. METHODS: Twenty-four Parent Supporters completed an online questionnaire. A mix of open- and closed questions asked about aspects of the Parent Supporter role. Quantitative data was summarised using descriptive statistics. Free-text responses to open-ended items were categorised and used to extend and illustrate the quantitative findings. RESULTS: Our findings reveal a group of highly dedicated and experienced volunteers who had taken 473 calls in the preceding 12 months. Calls were diverse but most were from bereaved mothers seeking 'to talk with someone who understands' in the early weeks and months after stillbirth or miscarriage. Most Parent Supporters indicated they felt well-prepared, confident, and satisfied in their role. Challenges include balancing the demands of the role and ongoing training and support. CONCLUSIONS: Peer volunteers contribute to addressing a significant need for support following pregnancy loss. Delivering and sustaining high quality parent-led support depends on volunteer recruitment and retention and this, in turn, requires organisational responses.

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  • Emotional and informational support is necessary until mothers transition out of the shock phase and return home.

    “Therefore, emotional and informational support is necessary until they transition out of the shock phase and return home. 36”

    From Desired Care for Perinatal Bereavement: Meeting the Needs of Mothers After Discharge From the Hospital—a Qualitative Study (2024) · cites this paper as [36]

    The Background says the need for emotional support and information may become paramount only after the initial shock subsides and parents have returned home. The citing sentence instead places that need before and until those events, reversing the paper’s timing. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [16]Redshaw M Rowe R Henderson J Listening to Parents after stillbirth or the death of their baby after birth 2014 Oxford National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit

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Authors
Boyle, F. M., Mutch, A. J., Barber, E. A., Carroll, C., & Dean, J. H.
Affiliations
The University of Queensland (AU)
Corresponding author
Boyle, Frances M.
ORCID
Venue
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2015-11-09
Volume
15
Issue
1
Pages
291-291
ISSN
1471-2393 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12884-015-0713-y
PMC
PMC4640395
OpenAlex
W2177376371
Cited by
28
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 3
FWCI
1.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Sands Australia National Council/Australian Department of Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
Keywords
miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal mortality, peer support, telephone support, volunteer experience, parent support groups, volunteer recruitment and retention, bereaved parents
MeSH terms
Abortion, Spontaneous, Adult, Bereavement, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Infant, Middle Aged, Parents, Peer Group, Perception, Pregnancy, Role, Social Support, Telephone, Volunteers, Stillbirth, Young Adult, Infant Death

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