Gender differences in parental psychological distress following perinatal death or sudden infant death syndrome

Background. Stress responses of bereaved parents (mothers 194, fathers 143) who experienced infant loss were compared with parents (mothers 203, fathers 157) with a live born child. Method. Psychological distress using scales of anxiety, depression and alcohol use was compared at 2, 8, 15 and 30 months post-loss. Results. Bereaved mothers showed significantly more anxiety/depression than controls at ail four interviews. For bereaved fathers, anxiety/depression differed significantly from controls only at two months. Heavy alcohol use was significantly more prevalent at 2 and 30 months. Relative risks showed significant gender differences between bereaved parents at all four interviews for anxiety/depression. When this outcome was extended to include heavy drinking in addition to anxiety/depression, these differences diminished and were significant only at 2 and 8 months. Conclusion. Female responses are longer lasting and reflected by elevated levels of anxiety! depression. Male responses equally involve anxiety, depression and heavy alcohol consumption.