A scoping review of therapies used to treat psychological trauma post perinatal bereavement

Hollins Martin, Caroline; Reid, Katrina

Abstract

Background:
Up to 39% of women who experience perinatal bereavement proceed to develop Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD), with this large proportion meriting treatment. Before setting-up a treatment service for postnatal women who are experiencing psychological trauma, it is important to identify what therapies have been used in-the-past to address this problem.

Aim:
To scope for research that has implemented therapies to treat psychological trauma post perinatal bereavement, for potential inclusion in a flexible treatment package.

Method:
A scoping review mapped coverage, range, and type of research that has reported on prior therapies used to treat psychological trauma post perinatal bereavement.

Findings:
Due to the dearth of papers that directly addressed perinatal bereavement, we widened the scope of the review to view what treatments had been used to treat psychological trauma post-childbirth. Out of 23 studies that report on effectiveness of therapies used to treat psychological trauma post-childbirth, only 4-focused upon treating PTSD post perinatal bereavement (3 effective/1 ineffective). Successful treatments were reported by Kersting et al. (2013), who found CBT effective at reducing PTSD symptoms post-miscarriage, termination for medical reasons, and stillbirth (n = 33 & n = 115), and Navidian et al. (2s017)) found that 4-sessions of grief-counselling reduced trauma symptoms post-stillbirth in (n = 50) women. One study by Huberty et al. (2020found on-line yoga to be ineffective at reducing PTSD symptoms post-stillbirth.

Conclusions:
A dearth of research has explored effectiveness of therapies for treating psychological trauma post perinatal bereavement and post-childbirth, with need to develop and test a research informed flexible counselling package.

Citation

Hollins Martin, C., & Reid, K. (2023). A scoping review of therapies used to treat psychological trauma post perinatal bereavement. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 41(5), 582-598. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2021.2021477

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 30, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jan 6, 2022
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 10, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 10, 2022
• Print ISSN: 0264-6838
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 582-598
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2021.2021477
• Keywords: Midwives; PTSD; complex-PTSD; perinatal bereavement; miscarriage; stillbirth; neonatal death; treatment; therapy
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2826721