Sign up for email alert when new content gets added: Sign up
Julia Imanoff, Graham McCaffrey
University of Calgary, Canada
ScientificTracks Abstracts: J Neurol Clin Neurosci
Childbirth is often depicted as a positive experience [1]. However, it is complex and can lead to positive and negative psychological responses [2]. A spectrum of mental health conditions can affect women before, during, and after birth. These include depression, phobias, adjustment disorders, panic disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and psychosis [3]. Perinatal-PTSD has emerged as a global health concern [4] drawing the attention of researchers across the Scandinavian countries, the United Kingdom (U.K.), the United States (U.S.), and Australia. Traumatic birth has been described as actual or threatened serious injury to the mother or infant during the process of labour and birth [5]. Real or perceived trauma experiences have the potential to disrupt women’s transition into motherhood [1,4], their mental health and wellbeing [6], their relationships with their infants [7], and their relationships with their partners [8]. Nearly one-third of women describe their birth experience as traumatic [2]; However, the prevalence of Psychological Birth Trauma varies widely from 0-43% [9,10,11]. Much of this variance has been attributed to the inconsistent terminology, study variations in measurement tools and methodology [4], and lack of conceptual clarity [12]; This has led to the limited or partial understanding of Psychological Birth Trauma presented in the literature. In this presentation, I review the dominant perspectives in which Psychological Birth Trauma has been defined within the academic literature, specifically in relation to the clinical diagnosis of PTSD. I compare two ways of describing Birth Trauma from reductionist and holistic perspectives and highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Lastly, I suggest a pluralist perspective (a systems approach) is a well-suited frame of reference in interpreting women’s experience of Psychological Birth Trauma. References 1. Dale-Hewitt, V., Slade, P., Wright, I., Cree, M., & Tully, C. (2012). Patterns of attention and experiences of post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth: An experimental study. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 15(4), 289–296. 2. Olde, E., van der Hart, O., Kleber, R., & van Son, M. (2006). Posttraumatic stress following childbirth: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(1), 1–16. 3. Vesel, J., & Nickasch, B. (2015). An evidence review and model for prevention and treatment of postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder. Nursing for Women’s Health, 16(6), 504–525. 4. Anderson, C. A. (2017). The trauma of birth. Health Care for Women International, 38(10), 999–1010. 5. Beck, C.T. (2004). Birth trauma in the eye of the beholder. Nursing Research, 53(1), 28–35. 6. Ayers, S., Joseph, S., McKenzie-McHarg, K., Slade, P., & Wijma, K. (2008). Post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth: Current issues and recommendations for future research. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 29(4), 240–250. 7. Ayers, S., Wright, D. B., & Wells, N. (2007). Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in couples after birth: Association with the couple’s relationship and parent-baby bond. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 25(1), 40–50. 8. Ayers, S., Eagle, A., & Waring, H. (2006). The effects of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder on women and their relationships: A qualitative study. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 11(4), 389–398. 9. Ayers, S. (2004). Delivery as a traumatic event: Prevalence, risk factors, and treatment for postnatal posttraumatic stress disorder. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology, 47(3), 552–567. 10. Czarnocka, J., & Slade, P. (2000). Prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 39(1), 35–51. 11. Dikmen-Yildiz, P., Ayers, S., & Phillips, L. (2017b). Depression, anxiety, PTSD and comorbidity in perinatal women in Turkey: A longitudinal population-based study. Midwifery, 55, 29–37. 12. Vignato, J., Georges, J. M., Bush, R. A., & Connelly, C. D. (2017). Post-traumatic stress disorder in the perinatal period: A concept analysis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(23–24), 3859–3868.
Julia Imanoff, MN'16, a Perinatal Nurse Specialist is a UCalgary Eyes High Doctoral Scholar, an Educator, and an Innovator. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ryerson University, and a Master of Nursing from the University of Calgary. She believes in bringing people together to create a positive impact. This mission drives her academic, professional, and entrepreneurial pursuits. Her research interests involve promoting healthy developmental environments for fetal/infant development focusing on parental mental health and birth modalities. Her doctoral research, for example, explores women’s experiences of Psychological Birth Trauma and the subsequent impact on family relationships. She has passionately shared her knowledge with others as a Nursing Instructor in Research, Perinatal, and Community Nursing. Among her many roles, she has been recognized for her excellence in Citizenship, Clinical Practice, Teaching, and Leadership.
+44 73620 49920
