Massachusetts General Hospital
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.
Childbirth-related PTSD (CB-PTSD) is a debilitating maternal mental disorder that undermines the well-being of mothers and can interfere with bonding with their infants during an important time of infant development. A significant portion of delivering women, particularly those who have experienced complicated deliveries, are at-risk for developing CB-PTSD. Underrepresented minorities are also at higher risk for CB-PTSD. An estimated 240,000 American women are likely to be affected by CB-PTSD each year. Currently, there is no recommended intervention for individuals exposed to traumatic child…
Inclusion Criteria: * 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). Exclusion Criteria: * 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. * Current diagnosable DSM-5 psychotic or bipolar disorder, or current substance abu…
Participants will write repeatedly about their deepest emotions and thoughts related to their recent childbirth, focusing on the most stressful experiences.
Participants will write repeatedly about neutral daily events/tasks not related to childbirth.
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