EDCO 817 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Running head CRISIS ISSUES REPORT_2024.pdf

Running head: CRISIS ISSUES REPORT 1

Crisis and Issues Report

Liberty University

Tiffany Bowen

CRISIS AND ISSUES REPORT 2

Abstract

The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the trauma associated with a traumatic event that

displays the husband’s view of a miscarriage. The type of crisis will be identified in detail and

how the husband was affected by the trauma of losing a child. This research paper will identify

the underlining cause of the crisis that caused a miscarriage and the trauma that the husband

experienced during the time of the miscarriage. Coping skills that were used and the

CRISIS AND ISSUES REPORT 3

Introduction

Crisis can show up in many forms without warning. The crisis that will be analyzed

throughout this research paper will be a husband who has experienced a loss by miscarriage.

There are not many husbands that are willing to share their struggles with the loss of child

through miscarriage. This husband placed himself in a vulnerable position to revisit the trauma

that was experienced as he watched his wife brave the loss of their child. The clinical description

Who was impacted?

Steven Miller, a dedicated husband, father, and inspirational writer talked about his

experience as a husband that suffered through a miscarriage. Mr. Miller explained that the

miscarriage happened many year ago, but he decided to be open and express that struggles that

he felt going through this crisis. Mr. Miller is currently the father to a daughter that he cherishes

and loves deeply. He found himself overjoyed at the fact that his wife was pregnant with their

second child. As Mr. Miller tells this experience, he expresses a great deal of sadness as if the

miscarriage happened recently. This shows that the miscarriage and the impact of the trauma

affects him currently and he expresses pain while sharing the traumatic event. As trauma has

happened to many, it can be considered to some as an event that will not affect their lives, future

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Type and cause of the crisis experienced

Mr. Miller and his wife experienced a miscarriage as his wife was 8 weeks pregnant with their

second child. Mr. Miller was affected by this loss but tried to remain a strong pillar for his wife

as he knew that she was experiencing the same grief. The grieving process for men involves less

conversation about the unexpected loss and more emotions being displayed as men tend to not

seek help and take on the blame (O'Leary & Thorwick, 2006). During the miscarriage, Mr. Miller

Miller openly tells his story for the first time years after the miscarriage as he did not identify the

amount of time that had passed. The miscarriage is identified as the traumatic event as the crisis

is identified as situational. This situational crisis has caused long-term damage in the father’s life

as he has unspoken trauma about the miscarriage.

As the husband, he expressed his concern with not knowing the cause of his wife to have a

miscarriage. Mr. Miller referenced a cesarean that his wife endured with their daughter and

question implantation. He questioned whether his wife encountered someone who could’ve been

the carrier of German Measles as she worked as a nurse. These thoughts infiltrated his mind but

no confirmation to what could have caused a miscarriage. Mr. Miller truly did not believe that

the loss of there child was something that God would put them through. This situational crisis

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The traumatic impact

In research, men expressed that the loss of a child is dream shattering as the thoughts and

confidence that is expected for the unborn child’s life is now lost, the views of fatherhood have

become tainted and the connection that has been developed emotionally are no longer (Due,

Chiarolli & Riggs, 2017). Mr. Miller expressed that he wrote about how he was affected by the

miscarriage but never spoke it out to hear himself speak bout it. Mr. Miller did not disclose that

be strong for his wife even though he was grieving, his wives was priority. Even though this was

a traumatic event, he did not allow himself to grieve in that moment. As a husband grieving the

loss of a child, he described his waiting room experience as he was left alone to wait for his wife

to return from surgery. In that moment of being alone, it is believed that Mr. Miller had his

moment of not being the strong supporter as he sat quietly alone. He described how he tried to

distract himself, but nothing could help him with the pain he felt in the moment of being alone.

All emotions that Mr. Miller experienced in those moments indicated depression and grief.

McCreight (2004), interviewed 12 men that all experienced miscarriage within the ages of 21

to 34. Some of the men experienced still birth but others experienced miscarriage. The interviews

included the fathers experiencing the loss and the staff present at the time of the miscarriage.

CRISIS AND ISSUES REPORT 6

loss in a facility after a miscarriage (McCreight, 2004). Most men in this study did attend group

meetings for emotional assistance. Throughout the study, men continued to blame themselves for

the loss and perceived as if they were stronger than the grief that they had experienced. Most of

them received some to no help from the hospital staff. The men in the study felt that their loss

was not equivalent to the mother’s loss and grief (McCreight, 2004). Mr. Miller sat in the

hospital room with his wife and he noted a container that remained on the sink that had fleshy

In the world we live in, men are expected to not share their emotions and grieve privately as

there are not many open windows to articulate their emotions as the world has demanded a man

to remain solid through any traumatic situation (McCreight, 2004). Mr. Miller was a 34-year-old

Caucasian male who was a spiritual writer and a believer in Jesus Christ. He does not disclose

any mental issues or health challenges that he may have but discloses that his wife had a

caesarian delivery. The wife was a nurse at the time of carrying their second child. Mr. Miller did

not address whether his wife was on her feet more than she could have be relaxing to ensure that

her first trimester was safe and not stressful on the fetus. There were not any factors that were

visible that could have caused the miscarriage.

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Culturally, men are made to feel that they must be the support system, the protector and the

provider of their life and family. This factor is against a man when trauma happens. Whether the

husband is terrified of what could happen during the process of a miscarriage to their wife,

society has not created a safe place for a man to openly express that he fears the unknown or that

he is grieving. Mr. Miller lived up to society’s impression of a man. He remained as calm as

possible during the process that the wife had to endure and suffered in silence. As the hospital

the home and for their wife (Hiefner, 2020). Mr. Miller is a husband experiencing a miscarriage

with not much support to assist him through the grieving process while he became the pillar for

his wife who to was grieving. Mr. Miller discussed that his community and church family being

present as their loss had been shared throughout their personal friends and family. Mr. Miller

shared the news with his neighbors. His church community was a shoulder to lean on, but he did

not let the emotional walls fall as if his church family would not handle his grief with

vulnerability. The question that arises for Mr. Miller was if God had anything to do with the loss

of their unborn child as God is the giver of life. Mr. Miller wrote a book on his experience to

cope with the loss of his unborn child to help others who may be experiencing the same. Mr.

Miller did not indicate that he suffered from depression as grief is the know factor in his

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According to McCreight (2004), to accomplish grief work, couples should remain open to

communicating with their friends and family throughout the grieving process (McCreight, 2004).

He returned to church while grieving the loss of their child as his wife remained in the hospital.

He allowed church family and friends to embrace him in which can be a form of healing and

having the support of those who care. Mr. Miller did not speak of attending in sort of individual,

group, or family counseling in his experience with miscarriage. He never spoke of the

God designed it.” These things are true but is a miscarriage ordained by God. While Mr. Miller

may have grieved the loss of their second child, he kept his faith in God while navigating the

trauma that he was enduring. “But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according

to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men”

(Lamentations 3:32-33, King James Version). Scripture tells readers that God is compassionate

even while grieving a loss. Even in grief, God will provide peace during the time of troubles. Mr.

Miller experiences that peace of God along his path to healing from the trauma of losing a child.

In conclusion, the husband’s stories of experiencing miscarriage are rarely told as they grieve

the loss of their unborn child. Mr. Miller experienced trauma due to the loss of child by

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expected to be leaders and to not show emotion in time of despair. In miscarriages, men are left

to figure out their emotions and grieve alone. Culturally, men are accustomed to being the

support system for the wife and family during the time of loss. Researchers have realized that

men are not heard and grieve silently, they do not receive help or support and they are likely to

not attend therapy to address the traumatic experience. If women can be guided through the

grieving process of losing their unborn child, men should be guided in the same direction. In the