Predictors of husbands' and wives' grief reactions following infant death: The role of marital intimacy

Abstract

This follow-up study examined how bereaved couples' grief reactions change over time and how the quality of the marriage can predict these reactions for men and women. A group of 31 bereaved couples who 2 to 4 years earlier had lost an infant (>20 weeks gestation and < 1 year of age) were revisited in their home 24 months after the initial home visit. With the exception of somatization, couples' grief reactions were less intense at follow-up than at the initial visit. Overall, husbands experienced less guilt, meaninglessness, yearning, and morbid fear than wives. Both husbands and wives who reported lower levels of marital intimacy soon after the loss experienced more intense grief at follow-up. Finally, couples continued to be vulnerable to a resurgence of grief even years later.