Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T16:22:43.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Gender Differences in Parental Psychological Distress Following Perinatal Death or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

John C. Vance ,
Frances M. Boyle ,
Jackob M. Najman  and
M. John Thearle
John C. Vance*
Affiliation:
Department of Child Health, The University of Queensland, Mater Children's Hospital
Frances M. Boyle
Affiliation:
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, The University of Queensland, Medical School, Herston. Q. 4006
Jackob M. Najman
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Sociology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia. Q. 4072
M. John Thearle
Affiliation:
Department of Child Health, University of Queensland, Mater Children's Hospital, Australia
*
Dr Vance, Department of Child Health, The University of Queensland, Mater Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Stress responses of bereaved parents (mothers 194, fathers 143) who experienced infant loss were compared with parents (mothers 203, fathers 157) with a live born child.

Method

Psychological distress using scales of anxiety, depression and alcohol use was compared at 2, 8, 15 and 30 months post-loss.

Results

Bereaved mothers showed significantly more anxiety/depression than controls at all four interviews. For bereaved fathers, anxiety/depression differed significantly from controls only at two months. Heavy alcohol use was significantly more prevalent at 2 and 30 months. Relative risks showed significant gender differences between bereaved parents at all four interviews for anxiety/depression. When this outcome was extended to include heavy drinking in addition to anxiety/depression, these differences diminished and were significant only at 2 and 8 months.

Conclusion

Female responses are longer lasting and reflected by elevated levels of anxiety/depression. Male responses equally involve anxiety, depression and heavy alcohol consumption.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 6 , December 1995 , pp. 806 - 811
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aneshensel, C. S., Rutter, C. M. & Lachenbruch, P. A. (1991) Social structure, stress and mental health: competing conceptual and analytic models. American Sociological Review, 56, 166–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baruffol, E. & Thilmany, M. C. (1993) Anxiety, depression, somatization and alcohol abuse prevalence rates in a general Belgian Community sample. Acta Psychiatrica Belgica, 93, 136–153.Google Scholar
Bien, T. H. & Burge, R. (1990) Smoking and drinking: A review of the literature. International Journal of Addiction, 25, 1429–1454.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blankfield, A. (1989) Grief, alcohol dependence and women. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 24, 45–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyle, F. M. (1993) Mothers bereaved by sudden infant death syndrome, neonatal birth and stillbirth: patterns of distress and predictor of recovery. PhD Thesis, University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Clayton, P. J. (1974) Mortality and morbidity in the first year of widowhood. Archives of General Psychiatry, 30, 347–350.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clayton, P. J. (1979) The sequelae and non-sequelae of conjugal bereavement. American Journal of Psychiatry, 136, 1530–1534.Google Scholar
Cooper, P. J., Campbell, E. A., Day, A., et al (1988) Non-psychotic psychiatric disorder after childbirth: A prospective study of prevalence, incidence, course and nature. British Journal of Psychiatry, 152, 799–806.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidson, K. M. & Ritson, E. B. (1993) The relationship between alcohol dependence and depression. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 38, 147–155.Google Scholar
Dyregrov, A. (1990) Parental reactions to the loss of an infant child: A review. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 31, 266–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dyregrov, A. & Matthieson, S. B. (1987) Similarities and differences in mothers' and fathers' grief following the death of an infant. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 28, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foulds, G. A. & Bedford, A. (1975a) Hierarchy of classes of personal illness. Psychological Medicine, 5, 181–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foulds, G. A. & Bedford, A. (1975b) Class change in the personal illness hierarchy. British Journal of Psychiatry, 127, 316–319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foulds, G. A. & Bedford, A. (1978) Delusions-Symptoms-States Inventory of Anxiety and Depression. Windsor: National Foundation for Education Research.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. & Huxley, P. (1992) Common Mental Disorders: a Bio-Social Model. London: Tavistock/Routledge.Google Scholar
Gotlib, I. H., Whiffen, V. E., Wallace, P. M., et al (1991) Prospective investigation of postpartum depression: Factors involved in onset and recovery. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 122–132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gove, W. R. (1978) Sex differences in mental illness among adult men and women: an evaluation of four questions raised regarding the evidence on the higher rates of women. Social Science and Medicine, 12, 187–198.Google ScholarPubMed
Hasin, D. S. & Alick, H. (1993) Depressive symptoms and DSM–III–R alcohol dependence: general population results. Addiction, 88, 1431–1436.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jorm, A. F. (1987) Sex and age differences in depression: A quantitative synthesis of published research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 21, 46–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keeping, J. D., Najman, J. M., Morrison, J., et al (1989) A prospective longitudinal study of social, psychological and obstetrical factors in pregnancy: response rates and demographic characteristics of the 8556 respondents. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 96, 289–297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kendler, K. S., Heath, A. C., Neale, M. C., et al (1993) Alcohol and major depression in women – a twin study of the causes of morbidity. Archives General Psychiatry, 50, 690–698.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madden, J. S. (1993) Alcohol and depression. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 50, 261–264.Google ScholarPubMed
Maddison, D. & Walker, W. L. (1968) Factors effecting the outcome of conjugal bereavement. British Journal of Psychiatry, 113, 1057–1067.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mor, V., McHorney, C. & Sherwood, S. (1986) Secondary morbidity among the recently bereaved. American Journal of Psychiatry, 143, 158–163.Google ScholarPubMed
Najman, J. M., Vance, J. C., Boyle, F., et al (1993) The impact of child death on marital adjustment. Social Science and Medicine, 37, 1005–1010.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oakley-Browne, M. A., Joyce, P. R., Wells, J. E., et al (1989) Christchurch psychiatric epidemiology study, Part II. Six month and other period prevalences of specific psychiatric disorders. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 23, 327–340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parkes, C. M. (1985) Bereavement. British Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 11–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pitt, B. (1968) “Atypical” depression following childbirth. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 1325–1335.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raphael, B. (1984) The Anatomy of Bereavement, pp. 229–282. London: Hutchison.Google Scholar
Rees, W. D. (1971) Parental depression before and after childbirth. Journal of Royal College of General Practitioners, 21, 26–31.Google ScholarPubMed
Thearle, M. J., Vance, J. C., Najman, J. M., et al (1995) Church attendance, religious affiliation and parental responses to sudden infant death syndrome, neonatal death and stillbirth. Omega, 37, 51–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tudehope, D. I., Iredell, J., Rodgers, D., et al (1986) Neonatal death: Grieving families. The Medical Journal of Australia, 144, 290–292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vance, J. C., Foster, W. J., Najman, J. M., et al (1991) Early parental responses to sudden infant death, stillbirth or neonatal death. The Medical Journal of Australia, 155, 292–297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vance, J. C., Najman, J. M., Thearle, M. J., et al (1993a) Parental responses to different types of infant loss. Bereavement Care, 12, 18–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vance, J. C., Thearle, M. J., Najman, J. M., et al (1993b) Alcohol and drug ingestion following sudden infant death syndrome, stillbirth or neonatal death. Second SIDS International Conference, February 1992 (eds Walker, A. M. & McMillan, C.), pp. 279–283. Ithaca, New York: Perinatology Press.Google Scholar
Vance, J. C., Najman, J. M., Embelton, G., et al (1994) Alcohol and drug usage in parents soon after stillbirth, neonatal death or SIDS. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 30, 269–272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vance, J. C., Najman, J. M., Thearle, M. J., et al (1995) Psychological changes in parents eight months after the loss of an infant from stillbirth, neonatal death or sudden infant death syndrome – a longitudinal study. Pediatrics (in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilhelm, K. & Parker, G. (1989) Is sex necessarily a risk factor for depression? Psychological Medicine, 19, 401–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zacny, J. P. (1990) Behavioural aspects of alcohol-tobacco interactions. Recent Developments in Alcoholism, 8, 205–219.Google ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.