The Influence of Acculturation on Traumatic Stress Following Childbirth Among Hispanic Adolescents

A multilevel developmental psychopathology model of childbirth and the perinatal transition

Despite recent applications of a developmental psychopathology perspective to the perinatal period, these conceptualizations have largely ignored the role that childbirth plays in the perinatal transition. Thus, we present a conceptual model of childbirth as a bridge between prenatal and postnatal health. We argue that biopsychosocial factors during pregnancy influence postnatal health trajectories both directly and indirectly through childbirth experiences, and we focus our review on those indirect effects. In order to frame our model within a developmental psychopathology lens, we first describe "typical" biopsychosocial aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. Then, we explore ways in which these processes may deviate from the norm to result in adverse or traumatic childbirth experiences. We briefly describe early postnatal health trajectories that may follow from these birth experiences, including those which are adaptive despite traumatic childbirth, and we conclude with implications for research and clinical practice. We intend for our model to illuminate the importance of including childbirth in multilevel perinatal research. This advancement is critical for reducing perinatal health disparities and promoting health and well-being among birthing parents and their children.

Measuring post-traumatic stress after childbirth: a review and critical appraisal of instruments

BACKGROUND

Addressing psychological trauma after childbirth requires accurate measurement of its prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes using validated instruments that distinguish perceptions of traumatic birth, subclinical post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, and symptoms meeting a diagnostic threshold.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to review literature on psychological trauma following childbirth and appraise instruments that measure postpartum PTS.

METHODS

In January 2020, the authors searched for and evaluated peer-reviewed studies that quantitatively measured PTS following hospital-based live births in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland; 37 articles were selected and evaluated.

RESULTS

Levels of post-traumatic stress disorder were most commonly measured, followed by PTS symptoms. Diagnostic instruments suggested lower PTS prevalence estimates than those screening for or assessing PTS symptoms. Community samples yielded lower prevalence estimates than samples recruited from the internet or settings specifically addressing mental health. Measurement sooner after birth yielded higher estimates.

CONCLUSION

Study design, sample characteristics, instruments, and timing of measurements likely impact postpartum PTS prevalence estimates. Variation in these characteristics make it difficult to draw conclusions on the prevalence of postpartum PTS. Researchers should consider the appraisal of measurement tools presented here and use rigorous study methodology when studying traumatic birth experiences and evaluating interventions.

Eating expectancies among trauma-exposed Latinx college students: The role of mindful attention

Objective: Emergent research suggests that trauma-exposed Latinx college students are a particularly at-risk group for eating-related problems. For this reason, there is a need to further understand the cognitive processes that may underpin maladaptive eating among this vulnerable segment of the population. Participants: Participants included 304 trauma exposed Latinx college students (84.5% females; Mage = 22.8 years, SD = 5.79). Methods: The current study examined the role of mindful attention in relation to several distinct expectancies related to eating. Results: Results indicated that lower reported levels of mindful attention were associated with greater levels of expectancies of eating to help manage negative affect, expectancies that eating will alleviate boredom, and expectancies that eating will lead to feeling out of control. Conclusions: These findings suggest that it may be beneficial to assess for mindful attention among Latinx college students with a history of trauma exposure presenting with problematic eating behaviors.

Mental health of adolescents associated with sexual and reproductive outcomes: a systematic review

Objective

To systematically review the literature on the mental health of adolescents associated with sexual and reproductive outcomes, and compare the mental health outcomes with that of other age groups.

Methods

We searched seven databases for relevant peer-reviewed articles published between 1 January 2010 and 25 April 2019. Our inclusion criteria required that the study included age-disaggregated data on adolescents, and focused and assessed mental health outcomes associated with pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. We extracted data on the specific health event, the mental health outcome and the method of measuring this, and comparisons with other age groups.

Findings

After initially screening 10 818 articles by title and abstract, we included 96 articles in our review. We observed that a wide-ranging prevalence of mental ill-health has been reported for adolescents. However, most studies of mental health during pregnancy did not identify an increased risk of depression or other mental disorders among adolescents compared with other age groups. In contrast, the majority of studies conducted during the postpartum period identified an increased risk of depression in adolescents compared with other age groups. Three studies reported on mental health outcomes following abortion, with varying results. We found no studies of the effect of sexually transmitted infections on mental health among adolescents.

Conclusion

We recommend that sexual and reproductive health services should be accessible to adolescents to address their needs and help to prevent any adverse mental health outcomes.