Source
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 142 Temple St., Suite 301, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study was to examine symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a community sample of low-income pregnant women who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for the disorder.
METHOD:
Pregnant women (N=948) were screened for trauma, PTSD, depression, and co-occurring illicit substance use. PTSD symptoms were compared in traumatized pregnant women and a sample of nonpregnant traumatized women from the National Comorbidity Survey.
RESULTS:
Suicidal thoughts and a high degree of psychiatric comorbidity were common in pregnant women with PTSD. Pregnant women were selectively and significantly less likely to endorse reexperiencing symptoms of PTSD (29.5%, N=82), compared to nonpregnant women (79.4%, N=464).
CONCLUSIONS:
PTSD in pregnancy was associated with comorbidity, poor health behaviors, and lower recall of memory-related PTSD symptoms. Further prospective study is needed.