Effectiveness of psychological interventions to improve the mental well-being of parents who have experienced traumatic childbirth: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Systematic review on the effectiveness of psychological interventions on mental well-being of parents who experienced traumatic childbirth.
Article Abstract
“Considering the adverse impact that traumatic childbirth experiences can have on parental mental well-being, studies that have investigated the potential of providing postnatal psychological support for this group of parents require evaluation. This systematic review aimed to examine the effectiveness of psychological interventions at improving the mental well-being of parents who have experienced traumatic childbirth in terms of anxiety, depression, fear of childbirth, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Seven electronic databases were searched from their respective inception dates up to January 2021. Only quantitative studies that reported the effects of psychological interventions on anxiety, depression, fear of childbirth, and/or PTSD symptoms in selective (at risk of traumatic childbirth experience) or indicated (self-defined childbirth experience as traumatic for any reason) populations of parents (mothers and/or fathers) were included. Eight studies were included and meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effect model. All studies were conducted on mothers only, and one study had minimal father involvement. Results showed that psychological interventions were more effective in reducing fear of childbirth and improving PTSD symptoms compared to anxiety and depression. Greater improvement in depression was reported at 3–8 weeks’ follow-up than at immediate post-intervention. Subgroup analyses showed that technology-based interventions were feasible, and indicated interventions were more effective than selective interventions. Conducting future interventions in more geographical regions, engaging and including fathers more actively, incorporating both personalized professional therapy and informal peer support, striving for flexibility and convenience, as well as addressing topics on self-doubt and coping skills can improve current interventions.”
—Description from publisher
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Shorey, S., Downe, S., Chua, J. Y. X., Byrne, S. O., Fobelets, M., & Lalor, J. G. (2021). Effectiveness of psychological interventions to improve the mental well-being of parents who have experienced traumatic childbirth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, Online. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F15248380211060808
Date
December 13, 2021
Creator(s)
Shefaly Shorey, Soo Downe, Joelle Yan Xin Chua
Contributor(s)
Sofia O. Byrne Maaike Fobelets, Joan Gabrielle Lalor
Topics
Pregnancy/Perinatal
Practice & Methods
Efficacy
Extent
16 pages
Publisher
Sage
Rights
© The Author(s) 2021.
APA Citation
Shorey, S., Downe, S., Chua, J. Y. X., Byrne, S. O., Fobelets, M., & Lalor, J. G. (2021). Effectiveness of psychological interventions to improve the mental well-being of parents who have experienced traumatic childbirth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, Online. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F15248380211060808
Audience
EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals
Language
English
Content Type
Article, Meta-analyses/Systematic Reviews, Peer-Reviewed
Access Type
External Resource