TY - JOUR
T1 - Trauma of pregnancy loss and infertility among mothers and involuntarily childless women in the United States
AU - Schwerdtfeger, Kami L.
AU - Shreffler, Karina M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Received 29 July 2008; accepted 16 September 2008. This research was supported in part by grant R01-HD044144 ‘‘Infertility: Pathways and Psychosocial Outcomes’’ funded by NICHD (Lynn White and David R. Johnson, Co-PIs). Address correspondence to Kami L. Schwerdtfeger, Human Development and Family Science, Oklahoma State University, 233 HES, Stillwater, OK 74078. E-mail: kami. [email protected]
PY - 2009/5/1
Y1 - 2009/5/1
N2 - Recent studies have repeatedly associated posttraumatic symptoms with women's experience of pregnancy loss. Using a nationally representative sample of American women (N = 2,894) from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers, the current study examines long-term psychological outcomes and reactions to pregnancy loss and infertility among mothers and involuntarily childless women. In general, childless women who had experienced pregnancy loss or failure to conceive reported the lowest life satisfaction and highest levels of depression despite a considerable period of time (7 years) since the loss or first year without a conception. However, women with the dual experience of pregnancy loss and involuntary childlessness reported the most fertility-related distress. Results of the current study suggest that the "non-event" of involuntary childlessness may serve as an additional stressor in the traumatic experience of pregnancy loss.
AB - Recent studies have repeatedly associated posttraumatic symptoms with women's experience of pregnancy loss. Using a nationally representative sample of American women (N = 2,894) from the National Survey of Fertility Barriers, the current study examines long-term psychological outcomes and reactions to pregnancy loss and infertility among mothers and involuntarily childless women. In general, childless women who had experienced pregnancy loss or failure to conceive reported the lowest life satisfaction and highest levels of depression despite a considerable period of time (7 years) since the loss or first year without a conception. However, women with the dual experience of pregnancy loss and involuntary childlessness reported the most fertility-related distress. Results of the current study suggest that the "non-event" of involuntary childlessness may serve as an additional stressor in the traumatic experience of pregnancy loss.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70449380994&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/15325020802537468
DO - 10.1080/15325020802537468
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70449380994
SN - 1532-5024
VL - 14
SP - 211
EP - 227
JO - Journal of Loss and Trauma
JF - Journal of Loss and Trauma
IS - 3
ER -