title: Post-traumatic stress symptoms, parenting stress and mother-child relationships following childbirth and at 2 years postpartum.
abstract: This study examined the prevalence of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms at 2 years postpartum and the relationship between such symptoms and both self-reported parenting stress and perceptions of the mother-child relationship. 81 women completed measures of childbirth-related PTS symptoms at 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum; these results were used in an exploration of their predictive links with mother-child relationship and parenting measures at 2 years. 17.3% of respondents reported some PTS symptoms at a clinically significant level at 2 years postpartum. However, these symptoms were only weakly linked to parenting stress and were not related to mothers' perceptions of their children. However earlier PTS symptoms within 3 months of childbirth did show limited associations with parenting stress at 2 years but no association with child relationship outcomes once current depression was taken into account. Implications for clinical practice and the concept of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Nottinghamshire NHS, Adult Mental Health, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield, Nottingham, UK. sarah.mcdonald@nottshc.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spiby
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iles
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D036801:Parturition / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires