36. Miscarriage and coping styles: Their role in women care (388)

Veronica Díaz Sánchez, Staff Nurse, Servicio de Obstetricia (Paritorio), Hospital De Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Spain
Co authors: Marisa García Huete, Dolores Marín Morales, Elena Campo Cecilia & Francisco Carmona Monge
lolimm@gmail.com

Abstract:

Introduction:

Fear of miscarriage is an additional source of stress for the pregnant women. Abilities and coping strategies used by women to process and adapt to the situation are a key point to evaluate for the nursing team in order to help women in their grieving process. Different studies have found a relation between the presence of abortion and an increase in depression and anxiety in women. This is even more important in women with low self-esteem and low emotional resources. Several researches have proven the beneficial effect of social support, emotional expression and professional care of women who had suffered a miscarriage.

Objectives:

To describe ways of coping in pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy and to analyze if coping strategies are modified in the presence of a previous abortion.

Methodology:

The sample is composed by 51 pregnant women in the first trimester of gestation from Fuenlabrada Hospital (Spain). Variables: Previous spontaneous abortion Stress Coping: measured with the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (Sandín 2003). Results The highest scores in the CAE were measured in the following subscales: focus on problem solving (mean 16.02; SD 3.95), positive reappraisal (mean 14.10; SD 3.44) and seeking social support (mean 14.51; SD 5.33). The lowest scores were measured in: religion (mean 3.53; SD 5.58), high emotional expression (mean 6.92; SD 3.60), focus on negative adjustments (mean 7.16; SD 3.62) and escape-avoidance (mean 8.73; SD 3.67). There were no significant differences in the different scales scores between women who had suffered a previous abortion and those who hadn’t.

Conclusions:

The fact of suffering a miscarriage doesn’t seem to modify women’s ways of coping. It is important to highlight the poor utilization of the emotional expression strategy, which plays an important role to adapt to the pregnancy loss. Coping styles can orientate the nursing team about the resources and strategies in which they must focus in order to provide high quality care so women can elaborate their grief.

Recommended reading list:

• Cote-Arsenault, D., Donato, K.L. & Earl, S.S. 2006, "Watching & worrying: early pregnancy after loss experiences", MCN.The American journal of maternal child nursing, vol. 31, no. 6, pp. 356-363.
• Swanson, K.M., Connor, S., Jolley, S.N., Pettinato, M. & Wang, T.J. 2007, "Contexts and evolution of women's responses to miscarriage during the first year after loss", Research in nursing & health, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 2-16
• Tsartsara, E. & Johnson, M.P. 2006, "The impact of miscarriage on women's pregnancy-specific anxiety and feelings of prenatal maternal-fetal attachment during the course of a subsequent pregnancy: an exploratory follow-up study", Journal of psychosomatic

Source of Funding: N/A

Amount in Funding: N/A