ABSTRACT
Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is clearly a stressful experience, but very little is known about what sets its emotional effects apart from isolated spontaneous miscarriages and from other forms of infertility. When studying the psychological effects of RPL, it is important not only to examine them through a pathological perspective, i.e., the induction of distress and depression, but also to appreciate how couples cope with this experience in their everyday life. A more general perspective would also examine the effect of RPL on self-esteem and marital and social relations. The degree of emotional anguish couples experience largely depends on the significance they ascribe to RPL. This meaning is influenced not only by the couple’s views, but also by the perception of infertility and the view of prenatal life in their specific society. Here I shall describe the psychological aspects of RPL based on a review of the literature and on my assessment of such couples using a focus group, stress questionnaires, and informal interactions in the setting of a clinical study.
