{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T06:05:04Z","timestamp":1784009104691,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783987200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Miscarriage is a prevalent and distressing experience that profoundly impacts both women\u2019s and men\u2019s psychological wellbeing and relationship dynamics. This study investigated the lived experiences, coping strategies, and relationship dynamics of women and men following miscarriage in Kampala district. The study used a qualitative approach, particularly a phenomenological research design. It employed a purposive sampling technique to select 12 participants who had experienced at least one miscarriage at least 1\u202fmonth before data collection. The sample included women aged 24\u201338\u202fyears and men aged 28\u201350\u202fyears. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and analyzed following Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke\u2019s six-phase approach to thematic analysis. The study findings showed that the lived experiences of participants were characterized by an emotional rollercoaster involving denial and sadness, trauma, and a loss of identity. Participant experiences were also marked by a search for an explanation and the pressure to align grief with cultural gender expectations. To navigate this aftermath, participants\u2019 coping strategies included mutual partner support, religion, the pursuit of a replacement baby, and the presence of other children. Furthermore, the experience transformed relationship dynamics; while some couples figured it out together, strengthening their bond, others faced emotional distance and a damaging blame game, outcomes often influenced by the state of the relationship prior to the loss. The study findings highlighted the psychological, social, spiritual, and emotional impact of miscarriage for both women and men. Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive and culturally sensitive support for individuals navigating the aftermath of miscarriage.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1845108","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T05:37:34Z","timestamp":1784007454000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Lived experiences, coping strategies, and relationship dynamics of women and men following miscarriage in Kampala district"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Brenda","family":"Nalugo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health and Community Psychology, School of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Beatrice","family":"Tondo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health and Community Psychology, School of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simon","family":"Kizito","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mental Health and Community Psychology, School of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University","place":["Kampala, Uganda"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/07481180802494032","article-title":"The experience of miscarriage in first pregnancy: the women\u2019s voices","volume":"33","author":"Gerber-Epstein","year":"2008","journal-title":"Death Stud"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1658","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)00682-6","article-title":"Miscarriage matters: the epidemiological, physical, psychological, and economic costs of early pregnancy loss","volume":"397","author":"Quenby","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s13104-018-3857-9","article-title":"High report of miscarriage among women living with HIV who want to conceive in Uganda","volume":"11","author":"Finocchario-Kessler","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMC Res Notes"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"504","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jen.2016.05.011","article-title":"Understanding the experience of miscarriage in the emergency department","volume":"42","author":"MacWilliams","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Emerg Nurs"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1080\/15332691.2024.2330891","article-title":"The grieving process of miscarriages: a narrative inquiry","volume":"23","author":"Lau","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Couple Relat Ther"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1434","DOI":"10.3390\/rel14111434","article-title":"The impact of the loss of a child in the prenatal period on marital and family life and the religiosity of women after miscarriage","volume":"14","author":"K\u0142os-Skrzypczak","year":"2023","journal-title":"Religion"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1032212","DOI":"10.3389\/fgwh.2022.1032212","article-title":"Pregnancy loss: consequences for mental health","volume":"3","author":"Cuenca","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. 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