Prevalance of post traumatic stress disorder after childbirth and its precipitating factors

Introduction: Childbirth qualifies as an extreme traumatic stressor that can result in posttraumatic stress disorders. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence and precipitating factors of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth. Methods: In this is cross sectional study, 572 women who were in 6-8 weeks after childbirth, were selected by convenience sampling method. The study was carried out in medical centers in 5 cities in west Azerbaijan province, Iran. Demographic, obstetrical, neonatal and mental variables, social support survey, life events scale and post traumatic symptoms scale-I (PSS-I) were collected. Data were analyzed by SPSS using Chi-Square and logistic regression methods. Results: Result of this study showed that 39% women reported PTSD after childbirth. The strongest risk factors were: parity, duration of lab our in hours, mode of delivery, sex of baby, income sufficiency and low social support (P<0/05). Conclusion: The prevalence of PTSD after childbirth in this research is higher than those found in other countries. So, interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of PTSD after childbirth are necessary.