PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF STILLBIRTH FOR THE MOTHER AND HER FAMILY: A CRISIS-SUPPORT APPROACH

Authors

  • Melanie Human
  • Coen Groenewald Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg
  • Hein J. Odendaal Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg
  • Sulina Green Department of Social Work, Stellenbosch University
  • Richard D. Goldstein Dr Richard Goldstein, Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
  • Hannah C. Kinney Department of Pathology, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, in collaboration with the PASS Network

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15270/50-4-392

Keywords:

stillbirth, psychosocial, coping, loss, narrative, relationship, social work, grief, grieving process, crisis, intervention, family

Abstract

In this article mothers’ emotions after experiencing a stillbirth are discussed. A study combining quantitative and qualitative research provided the foundation for a better understanding of the psychosocial implications of stillbirth for a mother and her family. The crisis-intervention approach was used to assist a control group of 25 mothers and was also evaluated during the study to establish the effectiveness thereof. Findings indicated that those mothers receiving the intervention used different coping mechanisms to deal with the severity of their loss. Narratives further show that relationship problems occurred following the loss. Receiving crisis intervention from a social worker during this period of grief, helped to facilitate the grieving process.

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Author Biographies

Melanie Human

Ms  Melanie Human, Post Graduate student

Coen Groenewald, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg

Dr Coen Groenewald, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg

Hein J. Odendaal, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg

Prof H.J. Odendaal, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg

Sulina Green, Department of Social Work, Stellenbosch University

Prof. Sulina Green, Head of Department of Social Work, University of Stellenbosch

Richard D. Goldstein, Dr Richard Goldstein, Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA

Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA

Hannah C. Kinney, Department of Pathology, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, in collaboration with the PASS Network

Dr Hannah C. Kinney, Department of Pathology, Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

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Published

2014-11-07

How to Cite

Human, M., Groenewald, C., Odendaal, H. J., Green, S., Goldstein, R. D., & Kinney, H. C. (2014). PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF STILLBIRTH FOR THE MOTHER AND HER FAMILY: A CRISIS-SUPPORT APPROACH. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 50(4). https://doi.org/10.15270/50-4-392

Issue

Vol. 50 No. 4 (2014)

Section

Articles

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