Failure to mourn a stillbirth: an overlooked catastrophe

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health
• Psychology of grief and loss
• Maternal mental health

Background:

• Stillbirth presents unique challenges to the grieving process.
• Delayed or complicated grief can significantly impact maternal mental well-being.
• The mother-infant relationship is vulnerable following a stillbirth.

Observation:

• A case study highlights difficulties in mourning a stillbirth.
• Failed mourning led to severe disturbances in mothering a subsequent live infant.
• This underscores the profound impact of unresolved grief on maternal functioning.

Findings:

• The study outlines reasons for the difficulty in mourning stillbirth.
• It details therapeutic management strategies for complicated grief after stillbirth.
• A specific psychotherapeutic technique is presented to facilitate mourning.

Implications:

• Effective therapeutic interventions are crucial for mothers experiencing stillbirth.
• Addressing complicated grief can restore healthy maternal-infant bonding.
• Psychotherapeutic support aids in resolving stillbirth-related trauma and improving maternal mental health outcomes.