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Fathers' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death: A meta-ethnography.

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Title: Fathers' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death: A meta-ethnography.
Authors: Blocksidge, Hope (AUTHOR), Wittkowski, Anja (AUTHOR), Heazell, Alexander E. P. (AUTHOR), Smith, Debbie M. (AUTHOR)
Source: Death Studies. 2026, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p671-687. 17p.
Subjects: Attitudes toward death, Miscarriage, Medical information storage & retrieval systems, Life, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Psychology of fathers, Group identity, Fathers' attitudes, CINAHL database, Puerperium, Father-infant relationship, Spouses, Compassion, Perinatal death, Psychological adaptation, Emotions, Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, Thematic analysis, Attitude (Psychology), Pain, Guilt (Psychology), Psychology of mothers, Family support, Grief, Shame, Interpersonal relations, Self-perception, Psychology information storage & retrieval systems, Social isolation, Avoidance (Psychology)
Abstract: Following a perinatal death, parents can experience mental health difficulties and social stigma around the loss that can lead to increased feelings of isolation. This meta-synthesis aimed to explore partners' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. A search of six electronic databases resulted in the inclusion of 18 studies involving over 300 fathers. Using meta-ethnography five themes: were developed 1) The pain with loss, 2) state of shock, 3) suffering in silence, 4) disconnection from the self and others' and 5) coping. A lack of support available from services or familial support networks led to isolation. Coping strategies fostering open communication often allowed fathers to process the death of their baby, and many spoke positively of their ongoing connection with their baby that died. However, consequences of unhealthy coping mechanisms, including avoidance or blame, resulted in the father's disconnection from the self, others or the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Death Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Fathers' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death: A meta-ethnography.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Blocksidge%2C+Hope%22">Blocksidge, Hope</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wittkowski%2C+Anja%22">Wittkowski, Anja</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Heazell%2C+Alexander+E%2E+P%2E%22">Heazell, Alexander E. P.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Smith%2C+Debbie+M%2E%22">Smith, Debbie M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Death+Studies%22">Death Studies</searchLink>. 2026, Vol. 50 Issue 5, p671-687. 17p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+toward+death%22">Attitudes toward death</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Miscarriage%22">Miscarriage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+information+storage+%26+retrieval+systems%22">Medical information storage & retrieval systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Life%22">Life</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Post-traumatic+stress+disorder%22">Post-traumatic stress disorder</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+fathers%22">Psychology of fathers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+identity%22">Group identity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fathers'+attitudes%22">Fathers' attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22CINAHL+database%22">CINAHL database</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Puerperium%22">Puerperium</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Father-infant+relationship%22">Father-infant relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spouses%22">Spouses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Compassion%22">Compassion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Perinatal+death%22">Perinatal death</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+adaptation%22">Psychological adaptation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotions%22">Emotions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Systematic+reviews%22">Systematic reviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22MEDLINE%22">MEDLINE</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitude+%28Psychology%29%22">Attitude (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pain%22">Pain</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Guilt+%28Psychology%29%22">Guilt (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+of+mothers%22">Psychology of mothers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+support%22">Family support</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grief%22">Grief</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Shame%22">Shame</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+relations%22">Interpersonal relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-perception%22">Self-perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychology+information+storage+%26+retrieval+systems%22">Psychology information storage & retrieval systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+isolation%22">Social isolation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Avoidance+%28Psychology%29%22">Avoidance (Psychology)</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Following a perinatal death, parents can experience mental health difficulties and social stigma around the loss that can lead to increased feelings of isolation. This meta-synthesis aimed to explore partners' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. A search of six electronic databases resulted in the inclusion of 18 studies involving over 300 fathers. Using meta-ethnography five themes: were developed 1) The pain with loss, 2) state of shock, 3) suffering in silence, 4) disconnection from the self and others' and 5) coping. A lack of support available from services or familial support networks led to isolation. Coping strategies fostering open communication often allowed fathers to process the death of their baby, and many spoke positively of their ongoing connection with their baby that died. However, consequences of unhealthy coping mechanisms, including avoidance or blame, resulted in the father's disconnection from the self, others or the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Death Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=192729188
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07481187.2025.2452486
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 17
        StartPage: 671
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward death
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Miscarriage
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical information storage & retrieval systems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Life
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Post-traumatic stress disorder
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology of fathers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Group identity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Fathers' attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: CINAHL database
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Puerperium
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Father-infant relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Spouses
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Compassion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Perinatal death
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological adaptation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Systematic reviews
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: MEDLINE
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitude (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pain
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Guilt (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology of mothers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Family support
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grief
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Shame
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-perception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychology information storage & retrieval systems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social isolation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Avoidance (Psychology)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Fathers' experiences of perinatal death following miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death: A meta-ethnography.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Blocksidge, Hope
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            NameFull: Wittkowski, Anja
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            NameFull: Heazell, Alexander E. P.
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            NameFull: Smith, Debbie M.
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: 2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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