The Psychiatric Consequences of Spontaneous Abortion

TLDR

Sixty-seven women were interviewed four weeks after spontaneous abortion, and 32 were identified as psychiatric cases by the Present State Examination. The psychiatric case rate was four times higher than in the general population, with all cases being depressive disorders confirmed by multiple rating scales; depressive symptoms correlated with prior spontaneous abortion history and, to a lesser extent, childlessness.

Abstract

Sixty-seven women were interviewed four weeks after spontaneous abortion. As determined by the Present State Examination, 32 of these women were psychiatric cases. This rate is four times higher than in the general population of women. In each case the diagnosis was depressive disorder, a finding confirmed by scores on three depression rating scales. Many women showed typical features of grief. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a history of previous spontaneous abortion, and less so with childlessness.