Experiencing Trauma During or Before Pregnancy: Qualitative Secondary Analysis After Two Disasters

Area of Science:

• Perinatal mental health research
• Trauma studies
• Disaster psychology

Background:

• Limited understanding of trauma experienced by pregnant women during natural disasters.
• Fort McMurray wildfire (2016) and Hurricane Harvey (2017) impacted thousands of pregnant or preconception women.
• Disasters necessitated large-scale evacuations, disrupting lives and support systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore immediate and past traumatic experiences of pregnant or preconception women exposed to natural disasters.
• Investigate the types of trauma experienced during a wildfire and a hurricane.
• Identify past traumatic experiences disclosed in expressive writing.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative secondary analysis of expressive writing from 50 women (25 from each disaster).
• Thematic content analysis was used to analyze narrative data.
• NVivo 12 software facilitated the analysis of writing entries.

Main Results:

• Disasters evoked fear and anxiety that, for some, surpassed previous traumatic life events.
• Significant past traumas were disclosed, including betrayal, abuse, maternal health complications, and illness.
• The expressive writing revealed the profound and lasting impact of both immediate disaster experiences and pre-existing traumas.

Conclusions:

• A strengths-based and trauma-informed care approach is recommended.
• This approach should be integrated into both maternal health services and post-disaster relief efforts.
• Addressing the complex trauma needs of pregnant women in disaster situations is crucial.