Coping with Miscarriage: Exploring the Influence of a Miscarriage on Mental Health

A miscarriage refers to the loss of a fetus within 20 weeks of pregnancy. Experiencing a miscarriage can have a significant impact on an individual’s mental health. A miscarriage can be very similar to losing a baby. It can cause the individual to experience grief and sadness. Coping with the loss associated with a miscarriage can be difficult, making it an extremely stressful and painful experience. According to Jeurkar (2018), many women blame the experience of miscarriage on themselves and feel extreme guilt and regret, leading to increased mental health concerns, and the inability to cope. It has also been established that mothers tend to feel more grief and sadness when they experience the loss of a baby later on in the pregnancy term, due to how real the pregnancy might feel with time. However, it may also be difficult to cope with early miscarriages, as mothers tend to keep the grieving process more private in such cases, leading to a constricted social circle to share their experiences and emotions with.

In India, having a miscarriage may also be considered taboo, and met with feelings of failure, making it more difficult for the individual to come to terms with the miscarriage (Jeurkar, 2018). This might significantly reduce the space the mother has, to address their mental health through the experience. The experience of miscarriage might also be met with a lot of shock. This is especially increased in individuals who do not have any prior physical health concerns which may serve as an indicator of the miscarriage.

According to an article on Tommy’s (2019), it is completely normal to experience a sense of emptiness after losing their baby to miscarriage. During pregnancy, an individual adopts the new identity of a mother, which might be perceived as “lost” after a miscarriage. This can lead to a sense of hopelessness and helplessness. Mothers have also reported feeling a loss of control due to the lack of measures they could’ve taken to avoid the experience. Some people have also highlighted increased anxiety and fear associated with possible future miscarriages. This fear can be amplified further when an individual gets pregnant after a miscarriage. Some mothers have reported increased feelings of jealousy and difficulty to be happy for others during this period. Apart from these emotions, the mother might also experience loneliness and confusion due to the suddenness of the experience. When one loses their baby through miscarriage, they might also be overwhelmed by their emotions because they didn’t expect to feel the loss so deeply.

Mothers who experience a miscarriage might also go through symptoms of anxiety and depression (Nynas, Narang, Kolikonda & Lippman, 2015). It can be extremely traumatic and can lead to intense emotional distress. These experiences might cause the individual to experience high degrees of fear, worry, and anxiety when they are unable to conceive in the future (Nynas, Narang, Kolikonda & Lippman, 2015), sometimes due to the loss of trust in their own bodies. Many a time, these experiences and mental health concerns may also remain through the years after a miscarriage, and cause a significant amount of distress to the individual and those around them. A prior loss through pregnancy can also predispose an individual to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression in the future, and it can also lead to other psychiatric problems and maladaptive coping mechanisms.

It is very important for mothers, family, and friends, to support themselves and those around them through this difficult experience. It must be ensured that the individual has a safe, non-judgemental space to address their concerns while grieving the loss of their baby. While this blog post (and initiative) is particularly targeted at understanding the mother’s experience, it must be acknowledged that a miscarriage can have a significant impact on the mental health of both partners, both of whom might be grieving a loss. The way the individual's family reacts to the miscarriage can also be an important determining factor for how they cope with concerns. Family members must make sure to hold a space for mothers, while also not retaliating with anger, shock and worry. The mothers themselves need to ensure that they don’t dismiss the emotions they feel. The grief and pain must be processed, and the individual must also reach out as and when necessary. One must also schedule some time for self-care, to ensure that they're able to process all of their emotions well.

References:

1. Brier, Norman (2008). Grief Following Miscarriage: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Journal of Women's Health, 17(3), 451–464. doi:10.1089/jwh.2007.0505

2. Broen, A. N., Moum, T., Bødtker, A. S., & Ekeberg, Ø. (2005). The course of mental health after miscarriage and Induced Abortion: A Lonitudinal, five-year follow-up study. BMC Medicine, 3(1). doi:10.1186/1741-7015-3-18

3. Jeurkar, R. (n.d.). How to care for your mental health if you've experienced a miscarriage. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.whiteswanfoundation.org/life-stages/maternity/the-emotional-impact-of-miscarriage

4. Nynas, J., Narang, P., Kolikonda, M., & Lippmann, S. (2015). Depression and Anxiety Following Early Pregnancy Loss. The Primary Care Companion For CNS Disorders. doi: 10.4088/pcc.14r01721

5. Toffol, Elena; Koponen, Päivikki; Partonen, Timo (2013). Miscarriage and mental health: Results of two population-based studies. Psychiatry Research, 205(1-2), 151–158. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2012.08.029

6. Your feelings and emotions after miscarriage. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.tommys.org/baby-loss-support/miscarriage-information-and-support/support-after-miscarriage/your-feelings-and-emotions-after-miscarriage