WORK RELATED STRESSORS AMONG WOMEN IN NORTH CAROLINA WHO MISCARRIED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Miscarriage is highly prevalent in the United States, yet limited research has explored how work-related stressors impact women’s bereavement period. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new workplace stressors, including job instability, heavier workloads, and managing multiple responsibilities remotely. This study explored the work-related stressors experienced by women in North Carolina who suffered a miscarriage of a desired pregnancy between March 30, 2020, and February 24, 2021. An interpretive descriptive design was employed, guided by the transactional stress and coping theory developed by Lazarus & Folkman. We analyzed 18 interview transcripts using conventional content analysis and identified five major themes: Work-life Balance, Work From Home, Work Accommodations, Workplace Social Support, and Mental Health. Findings revealed that participants had negative impacts on their mental health, experienced stress, anxiety, isolation, and frustration as a result of inadequate work accommodations, blurred work-life boundaries, remote work challenges, and limited social support from coworkers and employers. There is a need to further explore the workplace stressors women face following a miscarriage, as well as to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of workplace policy changes and educational initiatives in mitigating the impact on their mental health outcomes.