Psychological trauma following childbirth

The aim of this study was to assess risk factors to PTSD following childbirth incorporating a longitudinal design. Since the introduction of DSM-IV (APA, 1994) there has been an awareness in the literature that women can develop PTSD following childbirth. The first study in this thesis provides a comprehensive review of the literature in this area and the clinical implications of the disorder. The aim of the second study was to investigate the factor structure of a questionnaire measure (PLDQ) that has been used in past studies to assess women's perceptions of labour and delivery. The findings from this study indicate that the PLDQ consists of three internally reliable factors that can assess a woman's perception of pain, staff support/care and fear during labour and delivery. The scale can differentiate among women on these factors according to type of delivery. The aim of the third paper was to assess risk. factors to PTSD across time in the antenatal period, appraisal factors during delivery with the PLDQ, and maintenance factors in the postnatal period. There is an absence of studies in the literature that assess risk factors to PTSD over time. The results of this study indicate that postnatal depression (PND) and a negative appraisal of staff support and care during labour and delivery can predispose women to PTSD at 5-8 weeks following delivery. At 10 -14 weeks the relationship between PTSD and PND was still consistent. The clinical implications of the research are discussed for screening women at risk of PTSD following childbirth, assessment of a woman's appraisal of a difficult labour and delivery and the provision of support in the postnatal period