A 1-year longitudinal study of psychological morbidity after miscarriage.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the 1-year longitudinal course of psychological outcomes after miscarriage.


METHODS
Longitudinal observational study.


METHODS
University-affiliated teaching hospital.


METHODS
280 miscarrying women and 150 nonpregnant women.


METHODS
Psychological outcomes were assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) immediately, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after miscarriage.


METHODS
Scores on GHQ-12 and BDI.


RESULTS
Half (55%) of the miscarrying women scored high (>or=4) on the GHQ-12 immediately, 25% at 3 months; 17.8% at 6 months, and 10.8% at 1 year after miscarriage; 26.8% of the patients scored high on the BDI (>or=12) immediately, 18.4% at 3 months, 16.4% at 6 months, and 9.3% at 1 year after miscarriage. Patients who were initially more distressed continued to score higher on both the GHQ-12 and the BDI along the 1-year course when compared with those who were initially less distressed. When compared with the nonpregnant controls, the miscarrying women scored statistically significantly higher on the GHQ-12 and BDI; the differences became not statistically significant only 1 year after miscarriage.


CONCLUSIONS
A statistically significant proportion of patients reported psychological morbidity shortly after miscarriage, but their level of distress reduced over time until they were comparable with the controls 1 year later. Patients who were initially more distressed continued to be throughout the 1-year course.
Lok
Ingrid Hung
IH
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Prince of Wales Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. ingridlok@cuhk.edu.hk
Yip
Alexander Shing-Kai
AS
Lee
Dominic Tak-Sing
DT
Sahota
Daljit
D
Chung
Tony Kwok-Hung
TK
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009017:Morbidity; D010298:Parity; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011247:Pregnancy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors