Cross-national risk factors for childbirth-related PTSD: Findings from the INTERSECT study

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61988987%3A17110%2F25%3AA2603D3F" target="_blank" >RIV/61988987:17110/25:A2603D3F - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0033291725102298/type/journal_article" target="_blank" >https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0033291725102298/type/journal_article</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0033291725102298" target="_blank" >10.1017/s0033291725102298</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Cross-national risk factors for childbirth-related PTSD: Findings from the INTERSECT study

Original language description

Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) is an underrecognized condition with consequences for mothers and infants. This study aimed to determine risk factors for CB-PTSD symptoms across countries within a stress–diathesis framework, focusing on antenatal, birth-related, and postpartum predictors. The INTERSECT cross-sectional survey (April 2021–January 2024) included 11,302 women at 6–12 weeks postpartum. The study was carried out across maternity services in 31 countries. Outcomes were CB-PTSD diagnosis, symptom severity, and perceived traumatic birth, assessed with the City Birth Trauma Scale. Multiple risk factors were assessed, including preexisting vulnerability, pregnancy, birth, and infant-related factors. All models were adjusted for country-level variation as a random effect. </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S0033291725102298_sec3" sec-type="results"> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> Models explained substantial variance across all outcomes (conditional <jats:italic>R</jats:italic> <jats:sup>2</jats:sup>  = 0.53–0.58). Negative birth experience was the strongest predictor (e.g. odds ratio [OR] = 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.80–0.84 for diagnosis). Ongoing maternal complications predicted both CB-PTSD diagnosis and symptoms (e.g. OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.41–1.84), and major infant complications were associated with CB-PTSD diagnosis (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.29–2.07). Reports of perceived danger to self or infant (criterion A) were linked to higher CB-PTSD symptoms and traumatic birth ratings (e.g., <jats:italic>β</jats:italic> =0.25, 95% CI = 0.21–0.29). Other predictors reached significance but showed small effects. </jats:sec> <jats:sec id="S0033291725102298_sec4" sec-type="conclusions"> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> Findings support a stress–diathesis framework, showing that while pre-existing vulnerabilities contribute, birth-related stressors exert the strongest influence. Trauma-informed maternity care should prioritize these factors, with attention to women’s appraisals of birth. </jats:sec>

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

30307 - Nursing

Project

—

Continuities

V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Psychological Medicine

ISSN

0033-2917

e-ISSN

1469-8978

Volume of the periodical

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Issue of the periodical within the volume

17 November

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

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UT code for WoS article

001615022500001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105022023401