PSI Perinatal Loss and Grief 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the clinical term for the death of a fetus at 20 weeks of gestation or later?
- Miscarriage
- Stillbirth (Correct answer)
- Neonatal death
- Embryonic demise
Correct answer: Stillbirth
Stillbirth is defined as fetal death occurring at 20 weeks of gestation or later, distinguishing it from earlier pregnancy losses called miscarriages.
Question 2: Which mental health condition is significantly elevated in mothers following perinatal loss compared to the general obstetric population?
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Correct answer)
- Attention deficit disorder
Correct answer: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD rates are substantially higher in women who experience perinatal loss due to the traumatic nature of the event.
Question 3: According to PSI principles, what is the key first step when supporting a bereaved parent after perinatal loss?
- Encourage a rapid return to normal activities to provide distraction
- Avoid mentioning the baby to prevent triggering intense grief
- Acknowledge the loss and validate the parent's grief experience (Correct answer)
- Recommend immediate plans for a subsequent pregnancy
Correct answer: Acknowledge the loss and validate the parent's grief experience
PSI emphasizes acknowledgment and validation of the loss as foundational to effective perinatal bereavement support.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'complicated grief' in the context of perinatal loss?
- Grief that resolves within six weeks after the loss
- Grief that persists beyond expected timeframes and significantly impairs daily functioning (Correct answer)
- Grief experienced only by birthing parents, not partners
- Grief associated exclusively with multiple consecutive pregnancy losses
Correct answer: Grief that persists beyond expected timeframes and significantly impairs daily functioning
Complicated grief (also called prolonged grief disorder) is characterized by grief lasting beyond typical timeframes and causing significant functional impairment.
Question 5: A woman who experienced a stillbirth is now in a subsequent pregnancy. What mental health concern presents the greatest elevated risk during this pregnancy?
- Postpartum blues in the new pregnancy
- Prenatal anxiety and PTSD symptoms (Correct answer)
- New onset bipolar disorder
- Hyperemesis gravidarum
Correct answer: Prenatal anxiety and PTSD symptoms
Women with a prior perinatal loss face significantly elevated risk of prenatal anxiety and PTSD symptoms during subsequent pregnancies due to the prior traumatic experience.
Question 6: What is 'disenfranchised grief' as it applies to perinatal loss?
- Grief that is not socially recognized or validated by others (Correct answer)
- Grief that leads to legal complications following a loss
- Grief experienced without access to professional mental health support
- Grief caused by a perceived medical error during delivery
Correct answer: Grief that is not socially recognized or validated by others
Disenfranchised grief refers to grief that others do not acknowledge or consider socially legitimate, which commonly occurs with early miscarriage, infertility, and pregnancy loss.
Question 7: Which support approach does PSI recommend for parents experiencing grief and trauma related to a NICU stay?
- Limiting parental visits to reduce parental stress
- Connecting families with peer support from others who have had NICU experiences (Correct answer)
- Discouraging parents from asking medical questions to reduce anxiety
- Removing parents from care decisions to lessen their emotional burden
Correct answer: Connecting families with peer support from others who have had NICU experiences
PSI's peer support model recommends connecting NICU families with others who have shared similar experiences as a key component of addressing NICU-related grief.
PSI Perinatal Loss and Grief 1
What is the clinical term for the death of a fetus at 20 weeks of gestation or later?