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01-02-2013 | Original Article

The impact of subjective birth experiences on post-traumatic stress symptoms: a longitudinal study

Authors: Susan Garthus-Niegel, Tilmann von Soest, Margarete E. Vollrath, Malin Eberhard-Gran

Published in: Archives of Women's Mental Health | Issue 1/2013

Abstract

The aim of this prospective study was to examine the etiology of post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth within a transactional framework of stress. Participants were women (N = 1,499) from the Akershus Birth Cohort. These women were followed from pregnancy to 8 weeks postpartum. We modeled predisposing factors (e.g., fear of childbirth) and precipitating factors (subjective and objective birth experiences) as predictors of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Post-traumatic stress symptoms were measured by means of the Impact of Event Scale, objective birth experiences by means of birth journals, and subjective birth experiences by means of three questions. A structural equation model showed that subjective birth experiences had the highest association with post-traumatic stress symptoms. Moreover, they mediated the effect of predisposing factors and objective birth experiences. The results suggest that women’s subjective birth experiences are the most important factor in the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth.

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Title: The impact of subjective birth experiences on post-traumatic stress symptoms: a longitudinal study
Authors: Susan Garthus-Niegel
Tilmann von Soest
Margarete E. Vollrath
Malin Eberhard-Gran
Publication date: 01-02-2013
Publisher: Springer Vienna
Published in: Archives of Women's Mental Health / Issue 1/2013
Print ISSN: 1434-1816
Electronic ISSN: 1435-1102
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0301-3

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The impact of subjective birth experiences on post-traumatic stress symptoms: a longitudinal study

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