Dissociative experience during childbirth.
Carla Fonseca Zambaldi, Amaury Cantilino, Jacqueline Albuquerque Farias, Gustavo Paranhos Moraes, Everton Botelho Sougey
Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology December 1, 2011 DOI: 10.3109/0167482x.2011.626092 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAbout 11% of women report significant dissociative experiences shortly after childbirth, including altered time perception, unawareness of events, and disorientation. Factors linked to these experiences include traumatic childbirth, previous trauma, obstetrical complications, forceps use, prematurity, infant complications, dissatisfaction with maternity care, unemployment, high labor pain, and years of schooling. The study assessed 328 women within 72 hours postpartum using questionnaires for peritraumatic dissociation, pain, trauma history, and socio-demographic variables.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 328 |
| Population | Women up to 72 hours postpartum |
| Key finding | 11.3% of the sample experienced significant dissociation during childbirth. |
Abstract
A dissociative experience refers to phenomena such as depersonalization, derealization, amnesia, out of body experience, altered time perception and body image. The aim of this study was to assess dissociative experience during childbirth and the possible related variables. A total of 328 women, up to 72 hours postpartum, completed the peritraumatic dissociative experience questionnaire (PDEQ), the socio-demographic and obstetrical questionnaire, the pain numeric rating scale, the Trauma History Questionnaire and an SCID-I for traumatic events. A total of 11.3% of the sample experienced significant dissociation. In particular, symptoms like a sensation of time changes during the event/things seemed to be happening in slow motion, not being aware of things that happened, and disorientation. A traumatic childbirth, previous trauma, obstetrical complications, forceps, prematurity, complications with the baby, dissatisfaction with the maternity care, unemployment, high score pain during labor and years of schooling were the factors considered. Dissociative experiences can occur during childbirth.