Beyond the observed: Postpartum posttraumatic stress symptoms and mother-child bonding in Ghana

The birth of a child is considered positive in almost all cultures; however, research suggests that 20-40 % of women find childbirth psychologically traumatic, with some of these women developing posttraumatic stress disorder. Despite its potential illness burden, postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder is not routinely screened for in Ghana and, therefore unlikely to be diagnosed and treated.

This study investigated the incidence and risk factors of postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder among mothers and its association with the mother-child bond.

Quantitative data were collected from 150 mothers with infants aged 1 - 12 months across five health centres in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis in Ghana.

The findings show that 119 mothers presented various posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms after childbirth, and the total incidence of full postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder among this sample was 3.3 %. Parity, previous trauma and dissociation were the significant predictors of postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder. The development of posttraumatic stress symptoms after childbirth was found to be significantly associated with mother-child bonding.

Based on the findings, it is recommended that screening for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms during prenatal and early postnatal periods be done for timely intervention.