In addition to generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, some women may develop signs and symptoms of acute stress disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder after a miscarriage.
Acute Stress Disorder
Acute stress disorder develops in about 10% of women who have had a miscarriage or pregnancy loss, according to anecdotal reports by physicians in one journal article. Symptoms of acute stress disorder include:
- A sense of numbing or lack of emotional responsiveness
- Feeling of being in a daze
- Inability to recall aspects of the trauma
- Persistent reliving of the event through recurrent thoughts, dreams, or flashback episodes
- Avoiding stimuli that are reminders of the miscarriage
- Feelings of anxiety
- Distress impairs the person's daily functioning
Acute stress disorder is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder but lasts for a shorter amount of time -- to qualify for the diagnosis the symptoms must last for at least two days but a maximum of four weeks.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
About 1% of women develop PTSD after a miscarriage. The symptoms are basically the same as in acute stress disorder, but the PTSD label is used if the symptoms last longer than a month.
Sources:
Bowles, Stephen V., Larry C. James, Diane S. Solursh, Michael K. Yancey, Ted D. Epperly, Raymond A. Folen, and Maryann Masone, "Acute and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder After Spontaneous Abortion." American Family Physician Mar 2000. Accessed 19 May 2008.
Cumming, G.P., S. Klein, D. Bolsover, A.J. Lee, D.A. Alexander, M. Maclean, and J.D. Jurgens, "The emotional burden of miscarriage for women and their partners: trajectories of anxiety and depression over 13 months." BJOG Sep 2007. Accessed 19 May 2008.
Geller, P.A., C.M. Klier, R. Neugebauer, "Anxiety disorders following miscarriage." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Jun 2001. Accessed 19 May 2008.
National Institute of Mental Health, "Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)." Health & Outreach 13 May 2008. Accessed 19 May 2008.
National Institute of Mental Health, "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder." Health & Outreach 13 May 2008. Accessed 19 May 2008.
