Date of Award
Fall 11-3-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
November 2025
Department
Counselor Education
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Kelly Emelianchik-Key
Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to examine positive religious coping, perceived social support, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among bereaved mothers who had experienced pregnancy loss. I aimed to inform counselors about the nuances of the aftermath of pregnancy loss, as well as the protective and risk factors of PTG. The final sample consisted of 154 bereaved mothers who thoroughly completed a demographic questionnaire, the Positive Religious Coping subscale of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief R-COPE), the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory–Expanded (PTGI-X), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). I utilized the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 28.0.1.0 (142), to examine all data. Findings indicated that the proposed model of demographic and loss-related factors was not statistically significant. However, positive religious coping emerged as a significant predictor of PTG, while perceived social support was not found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between positive religious coping and posttraumatic growth. Exploratory post-hoc analyses revealed that age was associated with the New Possibilities subscale of PTG, and the number of pregnancy losses was related to decreased perceived social support. The findings of this study highlight the nuances in understanding the complex aftermath following pregnancy loss, especially as it relates to posttraumatic growth. Implications include equipping counselors to respond with cultural sensitivity and effectiveness when working with this population. Limitations of this study include restricted generalizability, potential self-report bias, and the use of a quantitative cross-sectional design.
Recommended Citation
Alayza, Maria, "POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH FOLLOWING PREGNANCY LOSS: UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF POSITIVE RELIGIOUS COPING AND THE MODERATING EFFECT OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 175.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/175