Miscarriage is the most frequent of all pregnancy losses, yet little is known of its impact on those who experience it. The purpose of this study was to empirically examine the psychological impact of miscarriage. Two hundred twenty-four women who had miscarried within the three previous years participated in response to announcements of the study in community/regional newspapers and newsletters of miscarriage support groups.

Numerous factors which were suggested in the literature as potentially contributing to the varying impact of miscarriage were explored. Hierarchical regression models evaluated the contribution of each of eight variables to the impact of the miscarriage and grief experienced in response to the loss. Four variables contributed to intensity of grief: length of pregnancy, number of living children, number of childbearing losses, and duration of time since the miscarriage. One additional factor, intentionality of pregnancy, emerged as a predictor of avoidant distress. In an examination of ways in which miscarriage was defined and explained, those who defined the loss more as the loss of a baby than as the loss of fetal tissue experienced more intense grief. Intensity of grief was greater for those participants who experienced a greater number of negative reactions to the loss. Lastly, an inverse relationship was found between satisfaction with medical care and intensity of grief; those who were less satisfied experienced higher levels of grief.

Implications for practice and further research are discussed.