| Title: |
Perinatal Loss and Parents’ Grief Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Research |
| Authors: |
De Vincenzo, Ciro; Cena, Loredana; Trainini, Alice; Nieddu, Chiara; Iacona, Erika; Ronconi, Lucia; Testoni, Ines |
| Contributors: |
De Vincenzo, Ciro; Cena, Loredana; Trainini, Alice; Nieddu, Chiara; Iacona, Erika; Ronconi, Lucia; Testoni, Ines |
| Publisher Information: |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) |
| Publication Year: |
2024 |
| Collection: |
Padua Research Archive (IRIS - Università degli Studi di Padova) |
| Subject Terms: |
COVID-19; grief and bereavement; parent; perinatal death; perinatal lo |
| Description: |
Losing a child is a traumatic event, disrupting life's natural cycle, profoundly affecting the family system, and causing enduring grief. Perinatal death, including ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths, exacerbates this distress. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged healthcare systems and supporting services available to individuals in need. Thus, this research explores experiences of parents facing perinatal loss in 2020-2021, further focusing on the pandemic's impact. Using a mixed-methods design with self-reports and qualitative interviews, this paper presents results from the quantitative protocol, involving an update and follow-up of a previous study. It compares measurements across scales: COVID-19: The Impact of Event Scale-Revised; The Prolonged Grief-13; The Parental Assessment of Paternal/Maternal Affectivity; The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (short version); The Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale; and The Inventory of Complicated Spiritual Grief. In the baseline measurement, 45 parents participated (37 mothers and 8 fathers), with 20 (13 mothers and 7 fathers) contributing to the follow-up and 9 engaging in interviews. Baseline results showed higher scores for mothers compared to fathers, with effect sizes ranging from small to medium (ranging from -0.02 to 0.29), though statistical significance was limited due to the small sample size. Multiple regression analysis for distress measures at baseline identified two significant predictors: maternal/paternal affectivity and gestational week. Additionally, positive support from healthcare professionals emerged as a mitigating factor, particularly in relation to Avoidance. A significant reduction in stress measures and parental affectivity was observed at the 6-month follow-up. Qualitative analysis revealed three themes: Shifts in Self-Perception and Post-Loss Growth; Conflicted Relationship with One's Body; and Negative Impact of COVID-19 vs. Unexpectedly Positive Aspects. In conclusion, the findings emphasize the ... |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/38667135; info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:001210655700001; volume:14; issue:4; journal:BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES; https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3513121 |
| DOI: |
10.3390/bs14040339 |
| Availability: |
https://hdl.handle.net/11577/3513121; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14040339 |
| Rights: |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; license:Creative commons ; license uri:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.38F89671 |
| Database: |
BASE |