Gender comparison of psychological reaction after miscarriage—a 1‐year longitudinal study

• Published in: BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 2010-09, Vol.117 (10), p.1211-1219
• Main Authors: Kong, GWS, Chung, TKH, Lai, BPY, Lok, IH
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abortion, Spontaneous - psychology; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Comparative studies; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Diseases of mother, fetus and pregnancy; Female; Gender; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Male partner; Maternal Age; Medical sciences; Miscarriage; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Fetus. Placenta; Psychological aspects; psychological reaction; Psychometrics; Risk Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Spouses - psychology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1470-0328; 1471-0528
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02653.x

Please cite this paper as: Kong G, Chung T, Lai B, Lok I. Gender comparison of psychological reaction after miscarriage—a 1‐year longitudinal study. BJOG 2010;117:1211–1219. Objective  To explore men’s psychological reaction and its evolutionary course over 1 year after miscarriage, to compare this reaction with that of their female partners and to investigate the possible correlation of psychological states between partners. Design  Prospective 1‐year longitudinal observational study. Setting  A university‐affiliated tertiary referral hospital in Hong Kong. Sample  Eighty‐three miscarrying couples. Methods  The psychological reactions of miscarrying women and their male partners were assessed immediately and at 3, 6 and 12 months after miscarriage. Main outcome measures  Psychological outcomes were assessed using the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results  A substantial proportion of men (43.4%) scored high in GHQ‐12 and 16.9% scored high in BDI immediately after miscarriage. In men, both psychometric scores decreased sharply within the first 3 months and reached a plateau. When compared with women, men scored significantly lower in GHQ‐12 and BDI during the 1‐year course after miscarriage. A planned pregnancy was a significant risk factor (P = 0.008) associated with an initial high BDI score in men. There was a significant positive correlation between couples in both GHQ‐12 and BDI scores throughout the longitudinal course. Conclusions  Although the psychological impact of miscarriage on men was less enduring when compared with that on women, a significant proportion of men demonstrated psychological distress after miscarriage. The significant positive correlation in a couple’s psychological reaction indicated that psychological morbidity was not confined only to a woman’s own experience, but also affected her relationship with her male partner.