Impact of Cognitive Behavioral-Based Counseling on Grief Symptoms Severity in Mothers After Stillbirth

Background: An active intervention is necessary for the care and support of women who have experienced stillbirth. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of psychological counseling on the severity of grief symptoms in mothers after stillbirth. Methods: We conducted a semi-experimental study on 100 women who had experienced stillbirth in their most recent delivery in a Central Maternity Hospital affiliated to the University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: intervention (n = 50) and control (n = 50). The intervention group received four sessions of small-group psychological counseling over 2 weeks and the control group received the routine postnatal care. We evaluated the severity of grief symptoms in both the groups before the first counseling session as well as at the end of the fourth week following the final session (and at equivalent times in the control group) using the Perinatal Grief Scale. Data were analyzed using independent and paired t-tests, chi-square test, and analysis of covariance. Results: The mean total grief symptom score and three subscale scores (active grief, difficulty coping, and despair) were significantly lower in the participants who received psychological counseling than in those who received the routine care (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Counseling significantly reduces grief symptoms, allowing for faster transition from grieving and preventing complicated grief. It is, therefore, necessary to integrate psychological interventions into the care system for mothers.