Protecting mothers against posttraumatic stress symptoms related to childbirth: What's the role of formal and informal support?


Beato A., Alves S., KÖMÜRCÜ AKİK B., Albuquerque S.

Midwifery, cilt.141, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 141
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104236
  • Dergi Adı: Midwifery
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, ASSIA, CINAHL, Gender Studies Database, MEDLINE
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Formal support, Informal support, Mothers, Post-traumatic stress, Postpartum
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background and objectives: The risk and protective factors of posttraumatic stress symptoms related to childbirth (CB-PTSD) have been recently investigated. Although the general support received by the mothers is considered to play a positive role, the precise function of each type of support is still misunderstood. This study aimed to ascertain whether forms of informal and formal support better predict CB-PTSD symptoms and whether adverse delivery experiences and prior psychological issues moderated this relationship. Methods: 526 mothers of infants (< 24 months) completed an online survey containing the Modified Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, and items that evaluated various sources of support. Results: Findings showed that satisfaction with support received from friends and during hospital stay contributed negatively to CB-PTSD symptoms, regardless of other forms of formal and informal support. Overall, the conditional effects revealed that less satisfaction with distinct forms of formal support was associated with more CB-PTSD symptoms among mothers with a high or moderate history of psychological problems. Adverse delivery experiences moderated the relationships between satisfaction with support during childbirth and hospital stay and CB-PTSD symptoms through a similar pattern. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of specific forms of support and contextual factors in preventing CB-PTSD.