When the Cradle Stays Empty: Grief is Different for Everyone

Objective: To explore women's experiences of perinatal grief, depression, anxiety, and stress across various personal and social factors. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey design. Place & Duration of study: The present study was conducted online over four months from November 2024 to February 2025. Subjects and Methods: The Fountain House Institute for Mental Health, Lahore, approved the study. A sample size of 139 women (aged 18-55) who had recently experienced a miscarriage was calculated through an online software by Raosoft Inc. A purposive sampling technique was used. Data were collected through an Urdu questionnaire, including an informed consent form, a demographic information sheet, the Perinatal Grief Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Informed consent was taken from the participants before the study. Anonymity and confidentiality of all research data were ensured. Data were analysed using the statistical software SPSS 27. Results: Independent samples t-tests showed that women who reported satisfaction with their relationship had significantly lower scores on perinatal grief, depression, and anxiety. Similarly, women who reported satisfaction with their home environment scored lower on perinatal grief, depression, anxiety, and stress, and those who experienced emotional problems after miscarriage had significantly higher scores on all measures. One-way ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences in our study measures across three marital status groups: married, divorced, and widowed. Conclusion: Women differ in their experiences of perinatal grief, depression, anxiety, and stress based on their satisfaction with relationships with their husbands, perceived family support, home environment, marital status, and emotional vulnerabilities.