Mental Health Awareness Week: Emotional support after miscarriage is vital

New Delhi [India], May 22 (ANI): With the growing efforts from various institutions, and the coming forward of many media personalities, the issue of mental health is slowly but surely receiving public awareness.
To bring a nationwide awareness about the importance of emotional well-being, the month of May is observed annually as the Mental Health Awareness Month.
This year -- May 18-24 -- is considered as the Mental Health Awareness week.
In today's time, especially during the lockdown phase owing to the coronavirus pandemic, it is vital and important to have an upper handhold on your mental health.
Nowadays, everyone including those who are planning to start a family is experiencing stress and facing many doubts that can impact their mental health and well-being.
Keeping this aspect in mind, professionals from the respective field, have given their expertise on how the failure of IVF treatments or miscarriages can a woman's mental health and what kind of a strong support system they require from their immediate family.
"Both infertility and its treatment process can cause psychological-emotional consequences in the patients and when there is a repeated failure in the treatment all hell breaks loose," said Dr Aswati Nair, Fertility Consultant, Nova IVF Fertility.
She noted that it is in such times the doctors play an important role in relieving their "grief, stress and to fill them with hope."
"Therefore, we as a gynaecologist also play the role of counsellors in most of the cases. We have been addressing emotional needs in infertility and providing integrated psychological services within routine fertility care. We also have counsellors, who provide patient-centred care with counselling, and also elaborate on the guidelines on determinants of patient needs and suitability for structured psychological interventions," she added.
"We have to counsel the patient in such a way that they start accepting the situation, understanding the meaning and impact on life, working on alternative life concepts, conflict resolution, and be able to develop coping strategies," Dr Nair concluded.
Dr Sandeep Chaddha, gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Noida, said: "Miscarriage is a shocking and traumatic event for women and their families. It induces an intense period of emotional distress. Mental illness can develop in women who have experienced one or more miscarriages after the event or even years later."
Dr Chaddha also mentioned that some data which suggests that men and women can be affected up to 15 years after the loss. For this reason, the doctor emphasised on the importance of "screen for depression and anxiety in patients following a miscarriage."
"In our hospital, we have experienced two miscarriages in the last three months. We have given counselling to such mothers so that they don't feel demotivated. Most women in this circumstance do become pregnant again. Yet mood disturbances can still coexist. When a woman is having difficulties at conception, worries may be magnified," the expert said.
"Most women and physicians see post-miscarriage intervention as desired, and it is important to provide appropriate treatment. Management of depressive and anxiety symptoms after a pregnancy loss can benefit future patient's well-being," added Dr Chaddha. (ANI)