A 1-year longitudinal study of psychological morbidity after miscarriage. 
To examine the 1-year longitudinal course of psychological outcomes after miscarriage.  Longitudinal observational study.  University-affiliated teaching hospital.  280 miscarrying women and 150 nonpregnant women.  Psychological outcomes were assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) immediately, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after miscarriage.  Scores on GHQ-12 and BDI.  Half (55%) of the miscarrying women scored high (>or=4) on the GHQ-12 immediately, 25% at 3 months; 17.8% at 6 months, and 10.8% at 1 year after miscarriage; 26.8% of the patients scored high on the BDI (>or=12) immediately, 18.4% at 3 months, 16.4% at 6 months, and 9.3% at 1 year after miscarriage.  Patients who were initially more distressed continued to score higher on both the GHQ-12 and the BDI along the 1-year course when compared with those who were initially less distressed.  When compared with the nonpregnant controls, the miscarrying women scored statistically significantly higher on the GHQ-12 and BDI; the differences became not statistically significant only 1 year after miscarriage.  A statistically significant proportion of patients reported psychological morbidity shortly after miscarriage, but their level of distress reduced over time until they were comparable with the controls 1 year later.  Patients who were initially more distressed continued to be throughout the 1-year course.