New research has dispelled the assumption that men don’t bond with an unborn child as much as women do and, therefore, don’t feel as depressed after a miscarriage. According to a study conducted in Hong Kong, men feel the same emotional pain as women, but are able to heal faster. Researchers followed 83 couples for one year after a miscarriage and found that 40 percent of the men suffered significant psychological distress immediately after the loss of their unborn child, but after a year, only five percent felt the same distress. Fifty-two percent of women, on the other hand, suffered significant psychological distress immediately after the miscarriage, and eight percent reported distress after a year. Men who had helped plan the pregnancy were more likely to experience high levels of depression after the miscarriage. So researchers conclude that the psychological impact of miscarriages is “less intense and enduring” for men, but since both sexes are distressed after the loss of pregnancy, help for the couple should be offered soon after the pregnancy loss. Are these findings surprising to you? Do you think a study of 83 couples is enough research to accurately come to these conclusions? [Reuters]
