Parental Leave after Early Pregnancy Loss: A retrospective cohort survey study

Background Early pregnancy loss is a very common experience resulting in adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression and PTSD. There is currently little research on the impact of parental leave on improving these mental health outcomes. As more employment policies are beginning to provide parental leave for early pregnancy loss, the efficacy of this treatment must be explored. Objective This study aimed to investigate the impact of parental leave after early pregnancy loss on mental health and access to professional mental health support. Study Design A 2023 retrospective cohort online survey was created after screening and recruiting participants via electronic medical records. To be eligible, participants had to be 18 years of age and above diagnosed with first trimester pregnancy loss in 2022, English speaking, and in Cincinnati, OH. Results Of the eligible 297 patients, 65 (21.9%) usable responses were collected. The rate of leave among respondents was 15.4% (n=10) which is similar to a national rate of 21.9% of companies offering leave (p=0.366). Those that took leave had significantly lower modified PHQ scores out of 9 (3.5 +/- 2.12) than those that didn’t (5.35 +/- 2.55) (p=0.035). The relative risk of patients believing their mental health was better due to leave was 33.45 (CI: 4.72-236.89, p<0.001). Patients that took leave also believed that they were better able to access professional mental health support (p<0.001), although only 50% of those actually did proceed with therapy. Conclusion Taking leave after early pregnancy loss results in less depressive symptoms and a more positive view of mental health and support access. Future studies should continue to explore the impact of leave after loss and advocate for parental rights.