Date
9-25-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Natalie A. Hamrick
Keywords
miscarriage, depression, grief, hope, men, resiliency, spirituality, quantitative
Disciplines
Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Sparks, Taylor Marie, "The Relationships Between Grief, Depressive Symptoms, Family Resiliency, and Spiritual Struggles and the Moderating Effect of Hope Among Bereaved Fathers Following Miscarriage" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7523.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7523
Abstract
Miscarriages are primarily treated as tragedies that impact women; however, the existing literature highlights that men experience similar impacts as women following the loss of their baby to miscarriage. Despite this, men widely report feeling forgotten and alone during their time of bereavement, with a lack of understanding and support in place for men who have lost a baby to miscarriage. This current study sought to fill the gap in the existing literature by investigating the relationship between spiritual struggles, family resiliency, depression, and grief levels in bereaved fathers following their wife’s miscarriage, using the moderating influence of hope on these relationships. The sample size consisted of 74 married men whose wives had suffered a miscarriage within two years of participating in the study. Results from the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) showed significant correlations between the variables, religious or spiritual struggles and family resilience, with depressive symptoms and post-miscarriage grief outcomes (p < .001). The moderation analyses revealed that hope did not moderate any of the relationships between the variables. However, exploratory mediation analyses showed that all of the relationships between the variables were partially mediated by hope. The findings of this study can advance the understanding of the needs of bereaved fathers, allowing for the development of better support. This study also combats taboos surrounding miscarriage and men’s mental health, as well as brings awareness to the significant impact miscarriages can have on fathers. Still, future research is needed to further understand how variables such as time, stigma, and other mental disorders impact men following the loss of their baby to a miscarriage.
