Preventing Childbirth-Related PTSD With Expressive Writing
ConditionPTSD (Childbirth-Related)
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexFemale
Age18-50
SponsorMassachusetts General Hospital
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to test a brief psychological intervention given to individuals in the first days following childbirth who have experienced a potentially stressful childbirth. The treatment is aimed at preventing post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth and promoting maternal-infant bonding.
In the days following childbirth, participants will be asked to write about their childbirth experience or a neutral event for three consecutive days, for around 15 minutes each day. Additionally, they will complete a short survey before and after the intervention about their birth experience and mental health. Around 2 months postpartum (with the option of up to around Month 3 PP), participants will take part in mental health and physiological assessments, and in a brief play session with their infant.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Women who recently delivered at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
Women who are at risk for developing CB-PTSD based on their scoring of >16 on the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI).
Disqualifiers
Age <18 or >50.
Stillbirth.
Down's Syndrome, other serious genetic disorder in the newborn, or serious birth defect (e.g., microcephaly, spina bifida).
Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for more than 1 week or infant that is not medically healthy.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Expressive Writing about Childbirth
- Neutral Writing
Treatment groups
136 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsSponsors and collaborators
Source ClinicalTrials.gov