Predicting depressive symptoms and grief after pregnancy loss

Abstract

Women who experience pregnancy loss are at high risk for depression and grief. We conducted a prospective cohort study to identify antenatal predictors of depressive symptoms and grief following pregnancy loss. Particular emphasis was given to the potential role of religiosity and spirituality. In multivariable linear regression models, depressive symptoms were significantly positively associated with baseline depression score and a history of mental illness. Depression scores were significantly inversely associated with age. Increasing age was also protective against post-pregnancy loss grief, as was participation in organized religious activities. Clinicians should be particularly alert to signs of depression following pregnancy loss in younger women and in women with a history of mental illness during or before pregnancy. The inverse association between religious attendance and grief following pregnancy loss merits further study.

Keywords:

• Pregnancy loss
• depression
• grief
• religion
• cohort study