Article
Access and barriers to support for German postpartum women with childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD)
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Authors
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Valentina Jehn
- Institute and Policlinic of Occupational and Social Medicine, Medical Faculty, TU Dresden, Germany
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Lara Seefeld
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
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Julia Schellong
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
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Susan Garthus-Niegel
- Institute for Systems Medicine (ISM), Medical School Hamburg (MSH), Hamburg, Germany
| Published: | February 7, 2024 |
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Outline
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Background: The postpartum period is a great challenge for many women, which can be further complicated by psychological stress symptoms. Nevertheless, many affected women do not seek professional help. Previous studies have mainly focused on researching satisfaction with the treatment or counselling received among women who have sought help, while studies on the attitudes of young mothers from the general population regarding appropriate services as well as their barriers to seeking such services are largely lacking.
Aim/research question: The aim of the current study was to gain a better understanding of the differences in help-seeking behaviors and barriers between postpartum women with childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) and general PTSD as well as postpartum women not affected by these symptoms.
Methods: In the cross-sectional study INVITE, mothers (n=3,909) were interviewed via telephone about three to four months after birth. CB-PTSD was assessed using the City Birth Trauma Scale and general PTSD using a short version of the Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen for DSM-5. The likelihood of help-seeking for CB-PTSD or general PTSD was assessed on an 11-point Likert scale. Barriers to help-seeking were assessed using a self-developed questionnaire divided into subscales of fears about treatment and stigmatization, health beliefs, and instrumental barriers. Analyses of variance were conducted to examine differences between symptom groups.
Results: In the presentation, the likelihood of utilizing treatment and counselling services as well as the perceived barriers of women with symptoms of (CB-)PTSD are presented. With the help of analyses of variance, the data of affected women are compared with those of subclinical and non-affected women.
Relevancy: This study provides unique insight into the attitudes of women in the postpartum period regarding help-seeking behaviors for mental health problems and potential barriers, which has not been investigated in detail in a large sample of German women before.
Recommendations/conclusions: If women differ in their likelihood of help-seeking and in their specific barriers depending on their symptom expression, this has important implications for the appropriate referral and treatment of patients as well as the adaptation of already existing treatment and counselling services.
Ethics and conflicts of interest: The Ethics Committee of the Technische Universität Dresden (No: EK 139042016) reviewed and approved the concept and content of the INVITE study to be carried out in the proposed way. The INVITE study received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. There are no conflicts of interest.
