The Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Following Childbirth and Its Predictors in Iranian Women

Considering the adverse implications of PTSD after childbirth and given its highprevalence in Iran along with the different statistics being reported aboutdifferent regions of Iran (۱۷۳۹%-) this study was conducted in a different Iranianlocal with the aim of evaluating the prevalence of PTSD and its socio-demographicand obstetrical predictors noting that the most latest studies on the prevalenceof PTSD in Iranian setting were the two investigations that reported theprevalence in ۵ years ago. It helps to women’s healthcare providers especiallythe midwives to design precise future interventions to promote the psychologicalhealth of women in postpartum period.";"This cross-sectional study wasperformed from April ۲۰۱۷ to November ۲۰۱۷ on the ۳۶۵ postpartum womenwho referred to healthcare centers and had recent childbirth ۱۰۱۶- weeksbefore the initiation of the study in Baneh City Kurdistan province Iran. Theinclusion criteria were: ۱۸۳۵- years of age childbirth in ۳۸۴۲-nd week of gestationinitiation of sexual relationships over the past one month delivering a singlechild being within the time period of ۱۰۱۶-th weeks after the childbirth beingliterate. The exclusion criteria were: having a child with known abnormalitiesany acute or chronic disease during the pregnancy marital divorce (emotionaldivorce or complete divorce) history of infertility before the recent pregnancydeath of the child after the childbirth for any reason death of one of the firstdegreerelatives history of psychotic disease or any acute and chronic disease asexpressed by the patient or based on the health records and emergency cesareanchildbirth. Sample size The sample size was considered to be ۳۶۵ participantsaccording to the study by Vijeh et al. (Vizeh M et al. ۲۰۱۲) on PTSD followingchildbirth in Iran by considering P=۳۹% z=۱.۹۶ and d=۰.۰۵ using the proportionestimation formula. Sampling The study was approved and coded by the EthicalCommittee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Code: IR.TBZMED.REC.۱۳۹۵.۱۲۹۳). Sampling was performed in in randomized way in Banehhealthcare centers. For this purpose first out of all of the healthcare centers andsub-centers including four healthcare centers and six healthcare sub-centersaccording to available demographics in each center or sub-centers (the numberof women who give birth under the coverage of each center or sub-center) thesuitable sample size for each center (considering the main sample size of ۳۶۵)was calculated and determined in separate manner. Then the list of women whohad given birth under the support of each center was provided.