PTSD in Pregnant women

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? 3.3% pooled PTSD in community pregnancy samples
Is it more common among pregnant women? Higher in high-risk pregnant populations
Are pregnant women at higher risk? Yes in trauma/high-risk populations
How much higher is the risk? Community 3.3%; high-risk 18.95%
How often can it be missed? High
Does it show up differently among pregnant women? Contextually
How might it look different? Prior trauma may be reactivated by examinations, loss of control or childbirth fears
What commonly occurs alongside it? Depression; anxiety
What can it be confused with? GAD; depression; normal pregnancy-related distress; adjustment disorder
Common screening tool PCL-5
Separate screening tool for pregnant women None universal
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