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

• Published in: Midwifery 2025-02, Vol.141, p.104236, Article 104236
• Main Authors: Beato, Ana, Alves, Stephanie, Akik, Burcu Kömürcü, Albuquerque, Sara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Formal support; Informal support; Mothers; Post-traumatic stress; Postpartum
• ISSN: 0266-6138; 1532-3099; 1532-3099
• DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104236

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. 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. 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. The findings highlight the importance of specific forms of support and contextual factors in preventing CB-PTSD.