This section identifies significant research studies by Dr. Joanne Cacciatore and colleagues in the area of trauma and loss.
Child Death in the United States: Productivity and the Economic Burden of Parental Grief. Melanie Fox, Joanne Cacciatore, Jeffrey R. Lacasse. This article examines the economic consequences associated with the death of a child. The economic costs (funeral and medical expenses and productivity losses) of child death 6 months following the death were estimated based on 213 parents who had experienced the death of a child (usually unexpectedly and predominantly mothers). – The Economics of Child Death
Love and Death: Relational Metaphors Following the Death of a Child. Laura R. Umphrey and Joanne Cacciatore. Recognized as one of the most painful human experiences, the purpose of this study was to uncover the relational and metaphorical themes embodied in bereaved parent narratives following the death of a child. – Relational Metaphors Umphrey & Cacciatore
Prescribing of Psychiatric Medication to Bereaved Parents Following Perinatal/Neonatal Death: An Observational Study. Jeffrey R. Lacasse and Joanne Cacciatore. To examine psychiatric prescribing in response to perinatal/neonatal death, we analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey of 235 bereaved parents participating in an on-line support community. – Meds_TEARS
Exploring the Increased Odds of Divorce Following Miscarriage or Stillbirth. Karina M. Shreffler, Patricia Wonch Hill, Joanne Cacciatore. We build on recent studies on the consequences of miscarriage and stillbirth for women to assess the (a) odds of divorce among women who experienced a loss compared to those who did not; and (b) fer- tility-specific characteristics that increase odds of divorce. Utilizing a nationally representative sample of 3,461 women who have ever been pregnant and married, we find that women who experienced miscarriage or stillbirth have greater odds of divorce than women who did not experience a loss, and we highlight the importance of characteristics associated with the pregnancy and loss experi- ences: gestation length, whether the pregnancy had been planned, and experiencing multiple losses. – Miscarriage_stillbirth_and_divorce
Physical activity and depressive symptoms after stillbirth: informing future interventions. Jennifer Huberty, Jenn A Leiferman, Katherine J Gold, Lacey Rowedder, Joanne Cacciatore, and Darya Bonds McClain. In the US, approximately one in 110 pregnancies end in stillbirth affecting more than 26,000 women annually. Women experiencing stillbirth have a threefold greater risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to women experiencing live birth. Depression contributes negatively to health outcomes for both mothers and babies subsequent to stillbirth. Physical activity may improve depression in these women, however, little is known about acceptable physical activity interventions for women after stillbirth. This is the purpose of this descriptive exploratory study. – Physical activity after baby death
Stillbirths: Why they matter. J Frederik Frøen, Joanne Cacciatore, Elizabeth M McClure, Oluwafemi Kuti, Abdul Hakeem Jokhio, Monir Islam, Jeremy Shiffman, for The Lancet’s Stillbirths Series steering committee. In this first paper of The Lancet’s Stillbirths Series we explore the present status of stillbirths in the world—from global health policy to a survey of community perceptions in 135 countries. Our findings highlight the need for a strong call for action. In times of global focus on motherhood, the mother’s own aspiration of a liveborn baby is not recognised on the world’s health agenda. Millions of deaths are not counted; stillbirths are not in the Global Burden of Disease, nor in disability-adjusted life-years lost, and they are not part of the UN Millennium Development Goals. The grief of mothers might be aggravated by social stigma, blame, and marginalisation in regions where most deaths occur. – The Lancet Stillbirth Why Matters
When a Child Dies: A Critical Analysis of Grief-Related Controversies in DSM-5. Kara Thieleman and Joanne Cacciatore. The fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has incited vociferous debate among academics, clinicians, and the general public. Two contested changes are eliminating the bereavement exclusion from the major depressive disorder diagnosis and creating a new category for intense and prolonged grief called persistent complex bereavement-related disorder. This article critically analyzes research and debate regarding these two changes and considers the likely implications for bereaved parents and other traumatically bereaved groups, who may be especially vulnerable to consequences of the two proposed changes. – Thieleman_Cacciatore_When a Child Dies_published version copy
When a baby dies: Motherhood, psychosocial care and negative affect. Ewa Nordlund, Astrid Börjesson, Joanne Cacciatore, Carissa Pappas, Ingrid Randers, Ingela Rådestad. The process of giving birth to a baby who has died is a significantly traumatic experience for the mother and her family and also for health professionals. support, or even the perceived lack of support, from professionals often influences whether or not the parents choose to see and hold their baby. Psychosocial clinical care may also affect long-term psychiatric sequelae. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experiences of mothers following the death of a baby and their interaction with healthcare professionals. – When_a_Baby_Dies- Psychosocial_care_and_negative_affect
Witness to Suffering: Mindfulness and Compassion Fatigue among Traumatic Bereavement Volunteers and Professionals. Kara Thieleman and Joanne Cacciatore. This study used a survey to investigate the relationship between mindfulness and compas- sion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among 41 volunteers and professionals at an agency serving the traumatically bereaved. Compassion fatigue comprises two aspects: secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Because prior research suggests that compassion satisfaction may protect against compassion fatigue, the authors hypothesized that (a) mindfulness would be positively correlated with compassion satisfaction, (b) mindfulness would be inversely correlated with compassion fatigue, and (c) there would be differences between respondents with a personal history of traumatic bereavement and those with no such history. – A Witness to Suffering Vicarious Trauma and Mindfulness
Support for mothers, fathers and families after perinatal death. Laura Koopmans, Trish Wilson, Joanne Cacciatore, Vicki Flenady. Provision of an empathetic, sensitive, caring environment and strategies to support mothers, fathers and their families experiencing perinatal death are now an accepted part of maternity services in many countries. Interventions such as psychological support or counselling, or both, have been suggested to improve outcomes for parents and families after perinatal death. Objectives: To assess the effect of any form of intervention (i.e. medical, nursing, midwifery, social work, psychology, counselling or community- based) on parents and families who experience perinatal death. – Cochrane Review on Perinatal Death
Pharmacological Treatment Following Traumatic Bereavement: A Case Series. Joanne Cacciatore & Kara Thieleman. There is little evidence to guide the use of psychotropic medications immediately following bereavement. This article presents a review of the relevant literature, followed by a case series on the use of psychotropic medication in traumatically bereaved individuals. – Cacciatore & Thieleman
Effects of Contact with Stillborn Babies on Maternal Anxiety and Depression. Joanne Cacciatore, PhD, MSW, FT, Ingela Ra ̊destad, PhD, and J. Frederik Frøen, MD, PhD. Some guidelines encourage mothers to see and hold their babies after stillbirth, which might be traumatizing. The study objective was to investigate the effects of women seeing and holding their stillborn baby on the risk of anxiety and depression in a subsequent pregnancy and in the long term. November 2009
The effects of social support on maternal anxiety and depression after stillbirth. Joanne Cacciatore PhD MSW FT, Stephen Schnebly PhD and J. Frederik Froen PhD. While most births result in a live baby, stillbirth (the birth of a dead baby) occurs in nearly 1 in 110 pregnancies. This study examined whether levels of maternal anxiety and depression are lower amongst mothers who received social support after stillbirth. Article Feb 09
Traumatic Bereavement and Mindfulness: A Preliminary Study of Mental Health Outcomes Using the ATTEND Model. Kara Thieleman, Joanne Cacciatore & Patricia Wonch Hill. This article presents a quasi-experimental study of a mindfulness-based intervention for traumatically bereaved individuals using a single group with pre-test and post-test design. The intervention consists of the ATTEND model, which is comprised of the following elements practiced by the clinician: attunement, trust, therapeutic touch, egalitarianism, nuance, and death education. ATTENDThieleman Cacciatore Hill
An exploration of Lesbian Maternal Bereavement. Joanne Cacciatore and Zulma Raffo. Research on parental bereavement has focused on single or cross-gendered (heterosexual) bereaved parents. No previous studies have examined the unique experiences of same-gendered bereaved parents. This multi-cased study focused on child death in same-gendered -parent families. Bereaved_lesbian_moms
Best practice in bereavement photography after perinatal death: qualitative analysis with 104 parents. Cybele Blood and Joanne Cacciatore. Postmortem memento photography has emerged in Western hospitals as part of compassionate bereavement care for parents facing perinatal death. Many parents endorse this psychosocial intervention, yet implementation varies greatly and little research on parents’ specific needs guides health care professionals. Parents are in crisis and vulnerable after the death of their child, thus best practice is crucial. This study contributes 104 parents’ experiences and opinions toward the understanding of best practice in perinatal bereavement photography. Bereavement photography best practice
Effects of support groups on post traumatic stress responses in women experiencing stillbirth. Joanne Cacciatore. This research study explores the effects of support groups on traumatic stress responses of women experiencing stillbirth. Cacciatore Support Groups IESR in Omega
Fatherhood and suffering: A qualitative exploration of Swedish men’s experiences of care after the death of a baby. J. Cacciatore, Kerstin Erlandsson, Ingela Radestad. This study was designed to evaluate fathers’ experiences of stillbirth and psychosocial care. Fatherhood & Suffering
Through the touch of God: Child death and spiritual sustenance in a Hutterian colony. This is an ethnographic study that utilized extended observations of the group and both individual and group interviewing in order to create a cultural portrait specifically focusing on Hutterites experiencing traumatic child death. Hutterites and Child Death
Parental Grief and Memento Mori Photography: Narrative, Meaning, Culture, and Context. Cybele Blood & Joanne Cacciatore. Postmortem photography is a widespread practice in perinatal bereavement care, yet few studies have explored how it affects bereaved parents, or how it might be received by parents of older children. This study is an examination of the meaning, utility, and social context of postmortem photography in a sample of 181 bereaved parents. Parental Grief and Memento Mori Photography
Stillbirth A Sociopolitical Issue. Joanne Cacciatore and Suzanne Bushfield. This article explores recent policy changes promoted by grassroots organizations relating to how stillbirths are recorded. Stillbirth A Socialpolitical Issue
