The Impact of Antenatal Interpersonal Violence Exposure on Birthing Experience and Postpartum Mental Health Sequelae: Do We Need Trauma-Informed Interventions?

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common and is associated with deleterious mental health outcomes. Less research has focused on the impact of lifetime IPV exposure on pregnancy-related outcomes and postpartum mental health symptoms, especially anxiety symptoms. As such, the current study examined the impact of lifetime IPV exposure on birthing experiences and postpartum anxiety symptoms. Participants were a sample of 1,912 females enrolled in a multi-site randomized control trial (i.e., “Mamma Mia”) of an internet and mobile-based intervention for preventing and reducing perinatal mental health symptoms. Although IPV history did not predict subsequent birth experience, findings demonstrated significant main effects of IPV history on both anxiety and depressive symptoms, and differences regarding main effects between intervention groups. A strengths-based approach, with a focus on posttraumatic growth, may improve postpartum mental health symptoms in trauma-exposed females specifically.