Posttraumatic growth and its associations with perceived stress and core beliefs in women after traumatic childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic added new challenges and stressors to the childbirth period, potentially increasing the risk of traumatic childbirth experiences. There is little known about Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) in a childbearing population. This study describes PTG in women after traumatic childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with sociodemographic, birth related characteristics, traumatic childbirth events, perceived stress and core beliefs, as well as exploring what factors predict PTG.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study with 202 women who self-identified as having experienced traumatic childbirth. Measures included sociodemographic and birth-related characteristics, traumatic childbirth events, self-reported stress during childbirth, the PTG Inventory, and the Core Beliefs Inventory (CBI).
Results
Perceived stress at the time of birth was very high in 70% of the respondents. CBI showed moderate disruption of core beliefs; 41.6% of mothers indicated substantial PTG. Education and type of birth were related to perceived stress levels. Higher disruption of core beliefs was observed in individuals who experienced perineal trauma and a lack of partners’ presence during childbirth, and higher disruption of core beliefs was positively associated with PTG. Predictive models showed that perceived stress had a minimal effect, while the disruption of core beliefs showed a significant positive association with PTG.
Conclusion
Traumatic childbirth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic were positively related to PTG. Health professionals should create an environment where women can explore their feelings and emotions. Changes in current practices are also necessary, as caesarean sections have been shown to be highly associated with high levels of perceived stress.