Tailored treatment needed for women with childbirth-related PTSD

Key takeaways:

• Women with childbirth-related PTSD preferred all services less vs. those without postpartum PTSD.
• Women with general PTSD preferred direct and delayed communication.

Treatment and counseling preferences differ for postpartum mothers with childbirth-related vs. general PTSD, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to postpartum care, researchers reported in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

“Our findings highlight the need to strengthen both professional and personal support systems. Treatment preferences differed notably between women with childbirth-related vs. general PTSD, emphasizing the importance of tailoring support services to individual needs and circumstances,” Susan Garthus-Niegel, PhD, professor at the Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine at the Dresden University of Technology and the Institute for Systems Medicine at the Medical School Hamburg in Germany and the department of childhood and families at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Norway, told Healio. “Midwifery services should be expanded, with enhanced training in postpartum PTSD awareness as part of the professions’ ongoing academization. Health care professionals should implement standardized PTSD screening during routine postpartum visits, as women with childbirth-related PTSD showed particular hesitancy toward seeking help.”

In a cross-sectional study, Garthus-Niegel and colleagues analyzed data from 3,874 women who participated in telephone interviews 6 weeks to 6 months postpartum from November 2020 to July 2023 (mean age, 33 years). Researchers assessed childbirth-related and general PTSD and, using a self-developed questionnaire, measured service preferences and preferred service modes between the two subgroups.

Overall, 3.7% of women had childbirth-related PTSD and 2.5% had general PTSD.

Most women across both subgroups preferred support services from midwives, family, friends or colleagues and in-person communication as the service provision mode.

Researchers observed lower overall preferences for all treatment and counseling services among women with childbirth-related PTSD vs. women without postpartum PTSD. In addition, compared with women without postpartum PTSD, those with childbirth-related PTSD had less preference for psychotherapeutic services, such as outpatient treatment and inpatient clinics (P = .007).

Women with general vs. childbirth-related PTSD rated all modes of service provision better compared with women with childbirth-related PTSD and women without postpartum PTSD (P = .02). Direct and delayed communication were strongly preferred by women with general vs. childbirth-related PTSD (P < .001).

“While midwives were the most preferred option, they were only slightly ahead of personal support networks such as family and friends, indicating the vital importance of both professional and personal support,” Garthus-Niegel told Healio. “Additionally, while most women preferred mother-child therapy, women with comorbid childbirth-related and general PTSD preferred individual therapy without their child present. This suggests different needs for those with more complex trauma. Interestingly, women with general PTSD showed broader acceptance of various service delivery methods compared to other groups.”

Garthus-Niegel also noted that in-person support services remain strongly preferred, but video conferencing has emerged as a viable alternative that could help reduce barriers to accessing mental health support.

For more information:

Susan Garthus-Niegel, can be reached at susan.garthus-niegel@ukdd.de; Instagram: @Dream_Studie_Dresden and @Respect_Studie.