Acute versus chronic grief: the case of pregnancy loss

Conceptual and measurement problems in identifying those at risk of chronic grief are reviewed, and results are presented of a longitudinal study of people who have experienced pregnancy loss. Coping resources, particularly prior mental health and social support, were the best predictors of low scores on subscales of the Perinatal Grief Scale that indicate chronic grief reactions. Results also offer some evidence of delayed grief responses, especially among men and those who experienced early losses.