The effect of grief counseling on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in women following perinatal deaths.
5 affiliations
- 1Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran.
- 2Midwifery Department, Faculty of Health, EGE University, Izmir, Turkey.
- 3Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
- 4Midwifery Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- 5Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Clinical Research Development Unit of Taleghani Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Fetal or neonatal death is a tragic event that frequently leads to the mother experiencing grief, as well as the development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study aimed to determine the impact of grief counseling on depression and PTSD in women following perinatal deaths.Methods
This experimental study was conducted on 56 women who had experienced perinatal deaths within the previous 1-3 months in Tabriz, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group based on the type of perinatal loss (stillbirth or neonatal death). For the intervention group, grief counseling was provided individually in three sessions, one per week, lasting 45-60 min. Data collection tools included a demographic and obstetric questionnaire, the Edinburgh Depression Scale, and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24. ANCOVA was employed to compare depression and PTSD ratings pre- and post-intervention while adjusting for confounding variables.Findings
The two groups had no significant demographic differences (p > 0.05). One month after the intervention, the mean depression score in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (adjusted mean difference = - 2, 95% confidence interval: - 3.2 to - 0.8, p = 0.01). However, the mean PTSD score did not differ significantly between the two groups (adjusted mean difference = - 1.5, 95% confidence interval: - 7.5 to 4.4, p = 0.59).Conclusion
Grief counseling after fetal or neonatal loss led to a reduction in depression, but no significant effect on PTSD symptoms was observed with this intervention. It is recommended to use other counseling approaches and assess their effectiveness for PTSD following perinatal deaths.
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BibTeX
@article{nournorouzi2026effect,
title = {{The effect of grief counseling on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in women following perinatal deaths.}},
author = {Leila Nournorouzi and Sevil Hakimi and Khalil Esmaeilpour and Leila Abdoli Najmi and Roghaiyeh Nourizadeh},
journal = {Discover mental health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1007/s44192-026-00558-6},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972172},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The effect of grief counseling on depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in women following perinatal deaths.
AU - Leila Nournorouzi
AU - Sevil Hakimi
AU - Khalil Esmaeilpour
AU - Leila Abdoli Najmi
AU - Roghaiyeh Nourizadeh
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/06
JO - Discover mental health
DO - 10.1007/s44192-026-00558-6
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972172
AB - Background Fetal or neonatal death is a tragic event that frequently leads to the mother experiencing grief, as well as the development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study aimed to determine the impact of grief counseling on depression and PTSD in women following perinatal deaths.Methods This experimental study was conducted on 56 women who had experienced perinatal deaths within the previous 1-3 months in Tabriz, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group based on the type of perinatal loss (stillbirth or neonatal death). For the intervention group, grief counseling was provided individually in three sessions, one per week, lasting 45-60 min. Data collection tools included a demographic and obstetric questionnaire, the Edinburgh Depression Scale, and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24. ANCOVA was employed to compare depression and PTSD ratings pre- and post-intervention while adjusting for confounding variables.Findings The two groups had no significant demographic differences (p > 0.05). One month after the intervention, the mean depression score in the intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (adjusted mean difference = - 2, 95% confidence interval: - 3.2 to - 0.8, p = 0.01). However, the mean PTSD score did not differ significantly between the two groups (adjusted mean difference = - 1.5, 95% confidence interval: - 7.5 to 4.4, p = 0.59).Conclusion Grief counseling after fetal or neonatal loss led to a reduction in depression, but no significant effect on PTSD symptoms was observed with this intervention. It is recommended to use other counseling approaches and assess their effectiveness for PTSD following perinatal deaths.
SN - 2731-4383
ER -