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

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 trea...

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Main Authors: Tuba Ucar, Esra Sabanci Baransel, Osman Tayyar Çelik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-05-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e092544.full
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author Tuba Ucar
Esra Sabanci Baransel
Osman Tayyar Çelik
author_facet Tuba Ucar
Esra Sabanci Baransel
Osman Tayyar Çelik
author_sort Tuba Ucar
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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institution Kabale University
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spelling doaj-art-910622d1ed014e9491b1ba54624421e82025-08-20T03:48:14ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-05-0115510.1136/bmjopen-2024-092544From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women’s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in TürkiyeTuba Ucar0Esra Sabanci Baransel1Osman Tayyar Çelik2Department of Midwifery, İnönü University, Malatya, TürkiyeDepartment of Midwifery, İnönü University, Malatya, TürkiyeDepartment of Child Development, İnönü University, Malatya, TürkiyeObjective 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.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e092544.full
spellingShingle Tuba Ucar
Esra Sabanci Baransel
Osman Tayyar Çelik
From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women’s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in Türkiye
BMJ Open
title From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women’s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in Türkiye
title_full From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women’s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in Türkiye
title_fullStr From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women’s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in Türkiye
title_full_unstemmed From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women’s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in Türkiye
title_short From grief to resilience: a qualitative study of women’s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in Türkiye
title_sort from grief to resilience a qualitative study of women s reactions and coping methods after perinatal loss in turkiye
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/5/e092544.full
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