Emotional experiences of women who access early pregnancy assessment units: a qualitative investigation

Silverio, Sergio A ORCID: 0000-0001-7177-3471, Memtsa, Maria, Barrett, Geraldine, Goodhart, Venetia, Stephenson, Judith, Jurkovic, Davor and Hall, Jennifer A (2022) Emotional experiences of women who access early pregnancy assessment units: a qualitative investigation JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOMATIC OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY, 43 (4). pp. 574-584. ISSN 0167-482X, 1743-8942

Access the full-text of this item by clicking on the Open Access link.

Abstract

Purpose: Early pregnancy complications are common and often result in pregnancy loss, which can be emotionally challenging for women. Research on the emotional experiences of those attending Early Pregnancy Assessment Units [EPAUs] is scarce. This analysis explored the emotions which women spontaneously reported when being interviewed about their experiences of using EPAU services. Materials and methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 38 women. Using Thematic Framework Analysis, we identified six unique emotional typologies which mapped onto women’s clinical journeys. Results: Women with ongoing pregnancies were characterized as having: “Anxious Presentation” or “Sustained Anxiety due to Diagnostic Uncertainty”, dependent on whether their initial scan result was inconclusive. Women with pregnancy loss had one of four emotional typologies, varying by diagnostic timing and required interventions: “Anxious-Upset”; “Anxious-Upset after Diagnostic Uncertainty”; “Anxious-Upset with Procedural Uncertainty”; “Anxious with Sustained Uncertainty”. Conclusions: We provide insights into the distinct emotions associated with different clinical pathways through EPAU services. Our findings could be used to facilitate wider recognition of women’s emotional journeys through early pregnancy complications and stimulate research into how best to support women and their partners, in these difficult times.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Early pregnancy, early pregnancy unit, emotions, pregnancy loss, qualitative research
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	02 Feb 2023 17:31
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 14:15
DOI:	10.1080/0167482X.2022.2119958
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2022.2119958
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3168121
Disclaimer:	The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate.