The loss of self: The effect of miscarriage, stillbirth, and child death on maternal self-esteem

Death Stud. 2017 Apr;41(4):226-235. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2016.1261204. Epub 2016 Nov 17.

Abstract

A child's death augments how grieving parents view the world, the family, and the self. Using a representative sample of women ages 25-45 who have ever given birth, we assessed whether miscarriage, stillbirth, and child death impact self-esteem and whether this loss is moderated by maternal identity. We found that stillbirth and child death, but not miscarriage, negatively impacted self-esteem. For those who experienced a loss, the impact on self-esteem was moderated by maternal identity. Women who experienced a stillbirth were the only group who had significantly lower self-esteem after controlling for background characteristics and maternal identity variables.

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Spontaneous / psychology*
  • Adult
  • Attitude to Death*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Mother-Child Relations
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Self Concept*
  • Stillbirth / psychology*