Cognitive Predictors and Risk Factors of PTSD Following Stillbirth: A Short‐Term Longitudinal Study
Open accessAbstract
This short‐term longitudinal study investigated cognitive predictors and risk factors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mothers following stillbirth. After a stillbirth at ≥ 24 weeks gestational age, 65 women completed structured clinical interviews and questionnaires assessing PTSD symptoms, cognitive predictors (appraisals, dysfunctional strategies), and risk factors (perceived social support, trauma history, obstetric history) at 3 and 6 months. PTSD symptoms decreased between 3 and 6 months (Cohen's d ranged .34–.52). Regression analyses also revealed a specific positive relationship between Rumination and concurrent frequency of PTSD symptoms (β = .45). Negative Self‐View and Negative World‐View related positively and Self‐Blame related negatively to concurrent number of PTSD symptoms (β = .48, .44, −.45, respectively). Suppression and Distraction predicted a decrease and Numbing predicted an increase in time‐lagged number of PTSD symptoms (β = −.33, −.28, .30, respectively). Risk factors for PTSD symptoms were younger age (β = −.25), lower income (β = −.29), fewer previous pregnancies (β = −.31), and poorer perceived social support (β = −.26). Interventions addressing negative appraisals, dysfunctional strategies, and social support are recommended for mothers with PTSD following stillbirth. Knowledge of cognitive predictors and risk factors of PTSD may inform the development of a screening instrument.
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Society's focus on fathers' role in providing physical and emotional support to mothers has led to the neglect of their own needs.
“Horsch and colleagues have observed that society's focus on fathers’ role in providing physical and emotional support to mothers has led to the neglect of their own needs. 39”
From Desired Care for Perinatal Bereavement: Meeting the Needs of Mothers After Discharge From the Hospital—a Qualitative Study (2024) · cites this paper as [39]
The introduction says that stillbirth can leave parents feeling isolated, and the Discussion addresses social support for mothers. Neither passage addresses fathers being expected to support mothers or their own needs being neglected; searches for those points found no supporting passage in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.72)
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- Authors
- Horsch, A., Jacobs, I., & McKenzie‐McHarg, K.
- Affiliations
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CH)
- MSB Medical School Berlin (DE)
- Warwick Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Horsch, Antje
- Venue
- Journal of Traumatic Stress
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-03-27
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 110-117
- ISSN
- 0894-9867 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6598
- OpenAlex
- W2100701871
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 3.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- serval.unil.ch
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Traumatic Stress (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- IRIS (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Fund (8076)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, stillbirth, mothers, cognitive appraisal, rumination, self-blame, negative self-concept, coping strategies, numbing, suppression, distraction, perceived social support, trauma history, obstetric history, risk factors, PTSD symptom trajectories, screening
- MeSH terms
- Pessimism, Adult, Age Factors, Female, Guilt, Humans, Income, Longitudinal Studies, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Risk Factors, Self Concept, Social Support, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Time Factors, Gravidity, Stillbirth
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