The spiritual and professional impact of stillbirth
What was this project about?
The spiritual and professional impact of stillbirth
Stillbirth has been recognised as a considerable psychological burden for parents and healthcare professionals. What was less known was how stillbirth impacted on the spiritual lives of healthcare chaplains who are tasked with providing spiritual care for families following stillbirth; on the spirituality of bereaved parents; and on the professional lives of consultant obstetricians.
This qualitative study sought to explore the spiritual and professional impact of stillbirth on maternity healthcare chaplains, consultant obstetricians and bereaved parents in the Republic of Ireland.
What was involved?
- Review of spiritual care provision following stillbirth in the Irish maternity services
- In-depth interviews with maternity healthcare chaplains, consultant obstetricians and bereaved parents.
Who was involved?
Project team
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Rev Daniel Nuzum | Pregnancy Loss Research Group | PhD Student |
| Professor Keelin O'Donoghue | Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Primary Supervisor |
| Dr Sarah Meaney | National Perinatal Epideiology Centre, UCC; Pregnancy Loss Research Group | Co-supervisor |
| Dr Heather Morris | Edgehill Theological College Belfast & Queens University Belfast |
Collaborator |
Dissemination activities
Journal articles
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O'Donoghue K. The impact of stillbirth on consultant obstetrician gynaecologists: a qualitative study. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2014;121(8):1020-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.12695.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O’Donoghue K, Morris H. The spiritual and theological issues raised by stillbirth for healthcare chaplains. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling. 2015;69(3):163-170. https://doi.org/10.1177/1542305015602714.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O'Donoghue K. The provision of spiritual and pastoral care following stillbirth in Ireland: a mixed methods study. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care. 2016;6:194-200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000533.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O’Donoghue, K. The place of faith for consultant obstetricians following stillbirth: A qualitative exploratory study. Journal of Religion and Health. 2016;55:1519-1528. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0077-7.
- Heazell AEP, Siassakos D, Blencowe H, Burden C, Bhutta ZA, Cacciatore J, Dang N, Das J, Flenady V, Gold KJ, Mensah OK, Millum J, Nuzum D, O'Donoghue K, Redshaw M, Rizvi A, Roberts T, Toyin Saraki HE, Storey C, Wojcieszek AM, Downe S, for the The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths Series study group, with The Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirths investigator group. Stillbirths: economic and psychosocial consequences. The Lancet. 2016;387(10018):604-616. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00836-3.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O'Donoghue K. Communication skills in Obstetrics: what can we learn from bereaved parents? Irish Medical Journal. 2017;110(2):512. https://imj.ie/communication-skills-in-obstetrics-what-can-we-learn-from-bereaved-parents/.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O’Donoghue K. The spiritual and theological challenges of stillbirth for bereaved parents. Journal of Religion and Health; 2017;56(3):1081-1095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0365-5.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O'Donoghue K, Jackson M. Stillbirth and suffering in Ireland: A theological reflection from healthcare chaplaincy. Practical Theology. 2017;10(2):187-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073X.2017.1296062.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O'Donoghue K. The public awareness of stillbirth: an Irish population study. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2018;125(2):246-252. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.14939.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O’Donoghue K. The impact of stillbirth on bereaved parents: A qualitative study. PLOS One. 2018;13(1):e0191635. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191635.
- Nuzum D, Meaney S, O'Donoghue K. Pregnancy loss: A disturbing silence and theological wilderness. Modern Believing. 2019;60(2):133-145. https://doi.org/10.3828/mb.2019.12.
- Nuzum D, Fitzgerald B, Evans MJ, O'Donoghue K. Maternity healthcare chaplains and perinatal post-mortem support and understanding in the United Kingdom and Ireland: An exploratory study. Journal of Religion and Health. 2021;60(3):1924-1936. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01176-4.
Project status
Completed: 2012 to 2016
Further information
Please email Dr Daniel Nuzum: daniel.nuzum@ucc.ie