Prevalence and Predictors of Women's Experience of Psychological Trauma During Childbirth

The increased acceptance of the prevalence of trauma in human experience as well as its psychological consequences has led to revisions of diagnostic criteria for the disorder. The three purposes of this study were to examine the rates at which women experienced psychological trauma in childbirth, to explore possible causal factors, and to examine possible factors in the development of the disorder.

One hundred and three women from childbirth education classes in the Atlanta metropolitan area completed a survey in late pregnancy and a follow-up interview approximately 4 weeks after the birth.