CHRONIC GRIEF AFTER SPONTANEOUS-ABORTION - RESULTS FROM A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY AFTER 13 MONTHS

Presented are follow-up results on coping with spontaneous abortion. A lthough the majority of women feel that this is a significant negative life event, their grief gradually decreases within 7 to 13 months. Co mpared to population standards they are neither depressed nor do they suffer from increased physical complaints. A subgroup of women is iden tified with chronic (''pathological'') grief based on increased or ris ing levels of grief (PGS), depression (SCL-90) and physical complaints (BL). Independently from a following pregnancy these women (about 20% ) report a high importance of their abortion, painful feelings in seei ng pregnant women and babies and fears of another abortion even after 13 months. Scores immediately after the abortion permit a good discrim ination of patients with chronic grief and uncomplicated course: Patie nts who later develop chronic grief report a high level of negative fe elings during the pregnancy leading to the loss, extensive preparation s for the expected baby, an unsettled vocational and family situation and intensive strains and despair immediately thereafter. Conditions a nd ways of grieving with this specific loss are discussed.