| Publication type: | Article in scientific journal |
| Type of review: | Peer review (publication) |
| Title: | Birth experiences in adult women with a history of childhood sexual abuse |
| Authors: | Leeners, Brigitte Görres, Gisela Block, Emina Hengartner, Michael Pascal |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.006 |
| Published in: | Journal of Psychosomatic Research |
| Volume(Issue): | 83 |
| Page(s): | 27 |
| Pages to: | 32 |
| Issue Date: | Apr-2016 |
| Publisher / Ed. Institution: | Elsevier |
| ISSN: | 0022-3999 1879-1360 |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | Childhood sexual abuse; Labor experiences; Dissociation; Trigger; Fear |
| Subject (DDC): | 616.8: Neurology, diseases of nervous system 618.4: Childbirth |
| Abstract: | Objective: Although childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may seriously impair childbirth experiences, few systematic evaluations on associations, mediating influences, risk and protective factors are available. As such information is mandatory to improve obstetric care, the present study aimed to provide such data. Methods: The study compared childbirth experiences from 85 women after CSA and at least one pregnancy resulting in a life birth with those from 170 control women matched for nationality, personal age and children's age. Trained specialists from support centers investigated CSA. Obstetrical data were collected from the official personal clinical record of each pregnancy (Mutterpass) and data on CSA as well as childbirth experiences were examined by questionnaires. Results: Childbirth was more often highly frightening (24.7 vs. 5.3%; p < 0.01) and a negative experience (40.7 vs. 19.6%, p < 0.01) in women with a history of CSA than in controls. Multivariate regression models support the hypothesis that at least part of this association was mediated by covariates (specifically, birth preparation classes, presence of a trusted person, participation in medical decision-making, pain relief, emergency during labor and extreme duration of labor), which represent important resources in improving obstetric care. In 41% of women with CSA, memories of traumatic experiences intruded during childbirth, whereas about 58% experienced dissociation. While dissociation may result in loss of contact with obstetric staff, it was also used to reduce labor pain. Conclusion: Childbirth following a history of CSA is associated with particular challenges. Creating a trusting environment by evaluating and integrating individual needs could ameliorate birth experiences. |
| URI: | https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/2284 |
| Fulltext version: | Published version |
| License (according to publishing contract): | Licence according to publishing contract |
| Departement: | Applied Psychology |
| Organisational Unit: | Psychological Institute (PI) |
| Appears in collections: | Publikationen Angewandte Psychologie |
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Leeners, B., Görres, G., Block, E., & Hengartner, M. P. (2016). Birth experiences in adult women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 83, 27–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.006
Leeners, B. et al. (2016) ‘Birth experiences in adult women with a history of childhood sexual abuse’, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 83, pp. 27–32. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.006.
B. Leeners, G. Görres, E. Block, and M. P. Hengartner, “Birth experiences in adult women with a history of childhood sexual abuse,” Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. 83, pp. 27–32, Apr. 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.006.
LEENERS, Brigitte, Gisela GÖRRES, Emina BLOCK und Michael Pascal HENGARTNER, 2016. Birth experiences in adult women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. April 2016. Bd. 83, S. 27–32. DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.006
Leeners, Brigitte, Gisela Görres, Emina Block, and Michael Pascal Hengartner. 2016. “Birth Experiences in Adult Women with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse.” Journal of Psychosomatic Research 83 (April): 27–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.006.
Leeners, Brigitte, et al. “Birth Experiences in Adult Women with a History of Childhood Sexual Abuse.” Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol. 83, Apr. 2016, pp. 27–32, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.006.
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