IMPLICATIONS OF SPONTANEOUS ABORTION ON WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH: AN INTEGRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Spontaneous abortion affects approximately 10–20% of recognized pregnancies and represents an event with a significant impact on women's psychological health. This study aimed to identify the impacts of involuntary pregnancy loss on women's mental health in Brazil and Ibero-American contexts. An integrative literature review was conducted using the Virtual Health Library (VHL), employing the descriptors: spontaneous abortion AND grief, pregnancy loss AND grief, pregnancy loss AND mental health, perinatal grief AND Brazil, and spontaneous abortion AND mental health. Original articles published in Portuguese between 2020 and 2026 that addressed spontaneous abortion or involuntary pregnancy loss and its relationship with mental health were included. Seven articles were selected for analysis. The findings revealed that pregnancy loss constitutes an experience of profound psychological impact, characterized by grief that is often socially unrecognized. The invisibility of gestational grief within healthcare services was identified, with care predominantly focused on technical procedures and a lack of hospital-based mental health teams. It was observed that 71.1% of women reported sadness consistent with grief, although more than 80% did not present clinical symptoms of anxiety or depression in the immediate period following the loss. Qualitative studies revealed prolonged suffering, with repercussions extending to subsequent pregnancies. Partner support, social and family networks, and religiosity emerged as key protective factors. It is concluded that involuntary pregnancy loss has a significant impact on women's psychological well-being, highlighting the urgent need for professional training, reorganization of healthcare services through specific perinatal bereavement protocols, and the implementation of humanized care practices.