Protecting mothers against posttraumatic stress symptoms related to childbirth: What's the role of formal and informal support?

Background and objectives: The risk and protective factors of posttraumatic stress symptoms related to childbirth (CB-PTSD) have been recently investigated. Although the general support received by the mothers is considered to play a positive role, the precise function of each type of support is still misunderstood. This study aimed to ascertain whether forms of informal and formal support better predict CB-PTSD symptoms and whether adverse delivery experiences and prior psychological issues moderated this relationship. Methods: 526 mothers of infants (< 24 months) completed an online survey containing the Modified Perinatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, and items that evaluated various sources of support. Results: Findings showed that satisfaction with support received from friends and during hospital stay contributed negatively to CB-PTSD symptoms, regardless of other forms of formal and informal support. Overall, the conditional effects revealed that less satisfaction with distinct forms of formal support was associated with more CBPTSD symptoms among mothers with a high or moderate history of psychological problems. Adverse delivery experiences moderated the relationships between satisfaction with support during childbirth and hospital stay and CB-PTSD symptoms through a similar pattern. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of specific forms of support and contextual factors in preventing CB-PTSD.