Childbirth as trauma : the impact of witnessing a traumatic childbirth on fathers and father-infant bonding

Fathers’ childbirth experiences have long been neglected, although growing evidence has shown that traumatic childbirth experiences can significantly affect paternal well-being. This study aimed to examine the relationship between birth trauma perception and PTSD symptoms, and whether such symptoms could negatively affect the quality of father-infant bonding. A cross-sectional research design was employed, and two multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Data collection took place from June to September 2022 from a sample of fathers (N = 119) who had attended the birth of their child, at least 12 weeks prior to participation. Participants answered a questionnaire which included demographic, background questions and self-report scales. Childbirth-related PTSD symptoms were measured using the City BiTS, depressive symptoms with the EPDS, anxiety with GAD-7, birth satisfaction with BSS-R, and quality of father-infant bonding with PBQ. Results revealed a moderate positive correlation between birth trauma and PTSD symptoms, suggesting that fathers who perceived childbirth traumatic were more likely to develop PTSD symptoms. Additionally, a small positive correlation was found between PTSD symptoms and scores on the PBQ, which may indicate father-infant bonding difficulties. This highlights the importance of acknowledging paternal mental health in perinatal care. Keywords: Paternal mental health, traumatic childbirth, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), father-infant bonding, perinatal care

Author dc:creator

• Þóra Björg Ingvarsdóttir 2002-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskólinn í Reykjavík

• Sálfræði
• Fæðing
• Feður
• Áfallastreita
• Psychology
• Childbirth
• Fathers
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1946/50599

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/50599