Partner support: a key component for coping with anxiety and postpartum posttraumatic stress symptoms

Abstract

Background: While premature birth is a particularly stressful delivery, anxiety and trauma related disorders following such birth are less studied compared to mood disorders. The aim of the current study is to identify a typology of women who delivered prematurely based on perception of partner support and quality of marital relationship and examine whether these profile differ on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety symptoms. Methods: Within 4 weeks of the infant’s hospital discharge, 110 French women who delivered prematurely completed questionnaires measuring perception of partner support and quality of marital relationship as well as anxiety and PTSD symptoms. Cluster analysis was used to identify groups of participants based on partner support and quality of marital relationship scores and groups were compared by their mean scores on anxiety and PTSD using ANOVAs. Findings: 3 clusters were identified: the first one was characterized by a perception of strong social support and quality of marital relationship, the second one was characterized by a perception of moderate partner support and the last one was characterized by a low level of partner support and a low quality of marital relationship. Our findings also highlight an impact of these profiles on anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Discussion: while preterm birth does not necessarily lead women to develop psychopathological symptoms, this study underlines that premature delivery might have a negative impact on women's well-being and suggest that partner support and good quality of marital relationship might be a key component for coping with stressful delivery.