Examining the Grief Levels on Postpartum Mothers’ Psychological Wellbeing Following Perinatal Deaths in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Abstract

ntroduction: Perinatal death refers to the loss of a fetus or neonate between 28 weeks of gestation (or weighing 500 g) and 7 days after birth. Globally, 3.3 million stillbirths and 2.8 million early neonatal deaths occur each year, with 98% reported in low and middle-income countries. These losses significantly impact maternal mental health, often resulting in grief, depression, and anxiety. This study explored grief levels among postpartum mothers in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, following perinatal loss and how this grief affects psychological wellbeing. Methodology: Anchored in Kübler-Ross’s Stages of Grief theory, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was implemented in three phases: baseline, intervention, and post-intervention. A total of 53 mothers and 10 counselling staff were selected using census and purposive sampling from hospital mortality records respectively. 2 data collection instruments were used-Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS) and structured questionnaires. SPSS was used to analyze data quantitatively. Descriptive statistics summarized participant data, while correlation, regression and independent and paired t-tests assessed relationships and intervention impacts. Results: Most respondents reported low to moderate grief (82.6%) post-intervention, compared to 71.4% in the control group, with a significant correlation between higher grief scores and depressive symptoms (p < 0.01). Conclusion: There was reduced mean scores among the experimental group, compared to higher scores in the control group substantially in despair, indicating that counselling helped reduce unresolved grief. Difficulty Coping also declined significantly suggesting an increase in emotional regulation and resilience, and decrease in Active Grief scores reflected a reduction in intense emotional reactions such as intrusive thoughts on the baby. The study recommended integrating psychosocial support and culturally sensitive and structured grief counselling through community-based systems to enhance awareness, reduce stigma, and improve maternal psychological wellbeing.