Post‐traumatic stress disorder related to birth: a prospective longitudinal study in a French population

The objective of the current study is to determine the prevalence of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following birth in a French sample, as well as to examine predictive variables. This study collected data from women at four different times: 48 h, 1 month, 4 months and 9 months post‐partum. PTSD symptoms were measured using the Impact of Events Scale‐Revised (IES‐R). Predictive variables were examined with four questionnaires: the Labor Agentry Scale (LAS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and a researcher‐designed personal information form. PTSD rates varied from 5% (1 month post‐partum) to 2.9% (9 months post‐partum). Primiparity, birth preparation classes, transfer to a tertiary care centre, perception of external control, feeling of pain during birth and depressive symptoms were significant predictors of the global IES‐R score. Results provide a basis for considering changes in healthcare delivery and prevention programs within the French perinatal healthcare system.