Women's experiences of coping with pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality.

Journal article


Lafarge, Caroline, Mitchell, Kathryn and Fox, Pauline 2013. Women's experiences of coping with pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality. Qualitative Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732313484198
AuthorsLafarge, Caroline, Mitchell, Kathryn and Fox, Pauline
Abstract

Pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality (TFA) can have significant psychological consequences. Most previous research has been focused on measuring the psychological outcomes of TFA, and little is known about the coping strategies involved. In this article, we report on women's coping strategies used during and after the procedure. Our account is based on experiences of 27 women who completed an online survey. We analyzed the data using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Coping comprised four structures, consistent across time points: support, acceptance, avoidance, and meaning attribution. Women mostly used adaptive coping strategies but reported inadequacies in aftercare, which challenged their resources. The study's findings indicate the need to provide sensitive, nondirective care rooted in the acknowledgment of the unique nature of TFA. Enabling women to reciprocate for emotional support, promoting adaptive coping strategies, highlighting the potential value of spending time with the baby, and providing long-term support (including during subsequent pregnancies) might promote psychological adjustment to TFA.

KeywordsAbortion; Bereavement; Grief (coping and adaptation); Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); Lived experience; Perinatal health; Pregnancy; Psychology
Year2013
JournalQualitative Health Research
PublisherSage
ISSN10497323
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732313484198
Web address (URL)http://hdl.handle.net/10545/621328
hdl:10545/621328
Publication dates2013
Publication process dates
Deposited31 Jan 2017, 16:55
ContributorsUniversity of West London
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https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/932v4/women-s-experiences-of-coping-with-pregnancy-termination-for-fetal-abnormality

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