Perinatal grief creates vulnerability to anxiety in subsequent pregnancy: the mediating role of bereavement-related guilt

ABSTRACT

Aim

This study examines the associations among perinatal grief symptoms, bereavement-related guilt, and pregnancy-related anxiety in subsequent pregnancy within the framework of a hypothesised mourning model.

Method

Pregnant women with history of a perinatal loss were recruited using convenience sampling methods and completed a questionnaire set including the Perinatal Grief Scale, Bereavement Guilt Scale, and Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale.

Results

Mediation analysis was performed to evaluate the hypothesised model in a sample of pregnant women with history of a perinatal loss (N = 111). The results indicated that bereavement-related guilt functions as a mediator in the relationship between perinatal grief severity and pregnancy-related anxiety experienced in subsequent pregnancies.

Conclusion

These findings were evaluated in light of previous studies, providing a bereavement-based perspective on the potential transmission of the mental effects of perinatal loss to subsequent pregnancy.

KEYWORDS:

• Perinatal loss
• grief
• bereavement
• guilt
• pregnancy-related anxiety
• pregnancy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. During the recruitment process, our exclusion criteria did not specify the exclusion of selective abortion, thus we did not specifically exclude women with a selected abortion experience. In the data set, there was one participant with selected abortion experience. In light of a reviewer’s contribution, we excluded this participant to clarify the definition of perinatal loss.