The Effect of a Miscarriage Compared to a Completed Pregnancy on Mental Health Care Use, Labour Market and Family Outcomes

ABSTRACT Miscarriages occur in about 15% of recognised pregnancies and often cause grief and stress. We investigate the effect of a miscarriage on mental health care use, labour market and family outcomes of women and their partners using an event study framework applied to Dutch linked administrative data. After a miscarriage, women's use of mental health care temporarily increase compared to before the miscarriage, while their partner's use is unaffected. Furthermore, miscarriages affect labour market trajectories and reduce the probability of living together. Results are similar when comparing the effects of a miscarriage with the effects of having a child using a matched sample of women with a completed pregnancy.