Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Factors Contributing to Women's Posttraumatic Growth Following Perinatal Loss

Objective: Despite the high prevalence of perinatal loss and its potential for negative impact on mental health, specific risk and resilience factors contributing to adjustment following perinatal loss have not been fully explored. This study investigated the relationship between attachment security, dyadic coping, and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Method: Women who had experienced miscarriage or stillbirth (n = 244) were recruited via social media and completed an online survey that assessed their attachment security, dyadic coping, and PTG. Loss context factors and demographics were also collected. Hypotheses were tested via hierarchical multiple regression and PROCESS macro. Results: Attachment security was related to couples' relational functioning. Dyadic coping mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance and PTG. Conclusion: This study contributes to the literature by providing evidence that relational security and ability to utilize a partner to reduce distress following perinatal loss is an important factor contributing to positive psychological change. Clinical Impact Statement Perinatal loss can negatively impact many couples every year. It is unclear what factors contribute to one's ability to adjust after such a loss. This study examined attachment security, the ability to use one's partner to cope, and the relationship between these two factors and posttraumatic growth after perinatal loss. Women's' ability to use a partner to cope with stress mediated the relationship between attachment security and posttraumatic growth. The results suggest that having support from a partner who shares one's lived experience may be an important factor contributing to women's' experiences of growth after perinatal loss.