From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women's reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in Türkiye.

Abstract

Objective: Perinatal loss, which includes miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death, is a significant public health problem worldwide. Perinatal loss causes a range of short-term and long-term reactionsin women. Knowing these reactions and coping methods is essential for appropriate support and treatment. This study aims to examine the complex reactions and coping methods experienced by women after perinatal loss.

Design and methods: In this study, a qualitative descriptive approach was used, in which indepth interviews were conducted with the data collected using semistructured interviews. 10 women who experienced perinatal loss were included in the study using the snowball sampling method. Analysis was conducted using an inductive content analysis approach.

Results: The findings showed that women who experienced perinatal loss exhibited a variety of complex reactions, which could be grouped under five themes. These are emotional reactions, concerns, changes in life, subsequent pregnancy and blame. We also observed that these women used strategies classified under seven different themes to cope, which we expressed as relying on religious or spiritual beliefs, restructuring, the healing power of more challenging experiences, reflecting on worse scenarios, isolating oneself, avoiding remembering and concretising the loss.

Conclusions: This study found that women experiencing perinatal loss may react differently and develop different strategies to cope with their loss and reactions. These findings may help to assess the emotional and behavioural states of women after perinatal loss and guide healthcare professionals to provide more individualised care.