Parents' adjustment to late abortion, stillbirth or infant death: the role of causal attributions.
The aim of the present study was to explore the attributional processes and the effect of various causal attributions on post-traumatic symptomatology among 110 parents who had lost an infant. The attributional processes were examined with longitudinal data collected over 12 months. One to four weeks post-loss, approximately half of the parents reported that they were never or rarely concerned with attributing responsibility for their baby's death. The importance of attributing responsibility was associated with several post-traumatic symptoms, as was searching for meaning in the death. Attributions to oneself, others, or God were positively and significantly associated with numerous post-traumatic symptoms. The results are discussed with reference to other studies dealing with the effect of attributions on subsequent adjustment among victims of trauma.
Jind
Lise
L
Department of Psychology, Aarhus University, and Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics & Neo-natal Department, Aarhus University Hospital and Aalborg Hospital North, Denmark. lisej@psy.au.dk
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001601:Bereavement; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires