Susan Garthus-Niegel

Medical School Hamburg/ Technische Universität Dresden/ Norwegian Institute of Public Health

The aim of this prospective study was to examine the etiology of post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth within a transactional framework of stress. Participants were women (N = 1,499) from the Akershus Birth Cohort. These women were followed from pregnancy to 8 weeks postpartum. We modeled predisposing factors (e.g., fear of childbirth...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) profoundly damages physical, sexual, reproductive, and psychological health, as well as social well-being of individuals and families. We sought in this systematic review to examine the risk factors according to the integrative ecological theoretical framework for IPV for women living in the Arab countries. We search...

In contrast to the large body of research on maternal perinatal depression, paternal perinatal mental health has received little attention; and longitudinal studies on paternal perinatal depression, following (expectant) fathers over time, are exceedingly rare. This population-based study aimed to (1) estimate prevalence rates of perinatal depressi...

Background Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) is gaining attention as a mental disorder with negative sequelae for mothers and their offspring. Maternal trauma history is a well-known vulnerability factor for CB-PTSD symptoms (CB-PTSS). Furthermore, alterations of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis have been linked to b...

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine mean estimates of prevalence rates for fulfilling all diagnostic criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or at least showing significant levels of posttraumatic stress (PTSS) in relation to the traumatic event of childbirth. For the first time, both mothers and fathers were includ...

The recent rise in maternal workforce participation has led to more research regarding the role of maternal employment for (early) childhood mental health. This systematic review with meta-analysis covers new evidence on the association of both variables. A systematic literature search was conducted. Studies had to compare children 0–7 years of age...

Exposure to traumatic experiences across lifespan shapes the functioning of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and sets individuals at risk to develop symptoms of depression and anxiety. Particularly, HPA axis regulation and the psychological health of the expectant mother have been of interest, as the health of the unborn child may be a...

Abstract Background Parental work stress and impaired mental health seem to have intensified during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Both can have a negative impact on parent-child bonding: psychosocial work stress in the course of a spillover effect from work to family and symptoms of impaired mental health as part of a crossover effect from parent...

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted working parents with an accumulation of stressors regarding changes in work, family, and social life, putting their mental health at risk. Stressors include altered working conditions such as working from home or changes in working hours as well as the difficulty to reconcile work and childca...

Birth-related posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) place a significant burden on mothers and their families. The aim was to (1) identify differential profiles of maternal birth-related PTSS; (2) determine the predictive value of established risk factors; (3) examine comorbidity patterns related to depression and anxiety symptoms. As part of the Nor...

Background Maternal symptoms of depression constitute an early adversity for infants that is considered to exert its effects via the maternal-placental-fetal neuroendocrine axis. Previous research implicates associations between maternal prenatal symptoms of depression and infants’ glucocorticoid (GC) levels shortly after birth. To date, associatio...

(Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2021;100:1678–1687) Although the pain experienced in labor is quickly forgotten by most women, some with negative childbirth experiences may recall intense labor pain years later. These women may experience postpartum anxiety which can have a negative impact on the women and their ability to tend to their newborns. This...

Background The relationship between iodine intake and depression is unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether iodine intake was associated with symptoms of perinatal emotional distress and depression in a mild- to moderately iodine deficient population. Methods The study population comprised women with 77,927 pregnancies par...

Background: The first 2 years of life are a particularly sensitive period for the parent–child relationship as well as a healthy, age-appropriate child development. Both have been shown to be linked to postpartum depressive and anxiety symptoms, while the role of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, which are also common, is still largely understudied. I...

Theoretical background: Anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most prevalent perinatal disorders, and specific associations with child development have to be distinguished to derive early targeted interventions. Objective: Are children of mothers with peripartum anxiety or depressive disorder at increased risk for (visuo-)motor, language,...

Background The association between mode of delivery (MOD) and parent-infant-bonding has only been studied in mothers and findings have been inconclusive. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate how MOD relates to postpartum parent-infant-bonding in both mothers and fathers and whether these associations are mediated by birth experien...

Objective Many women experience traumatic events already prior to or during pregnancy, and delivery of a child may also be perceived as a traumatic event, especially in women with prior post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Birth-related PTSD might be unique in several ways, and it seems important to distinguish between lifetime PTSD and birth-rel...

Postpartum psychopathology is a well-documented risk factor for impaired mother-infant bonding and thus child development. Increasingly, the focus of research in this area lies on maternal adverse childhood experiences that mothers bring into the relationship with their own baby, especially regarding the possible intergenerational transmission of t...

A variety of organisms including mammals have evolved a 24h, self-sustained timekeeping machinery known as the circadian clock (biological clock), which enables to anticipate, respond, and adapt to environmental influences such as the daily light and dark cycles. Proper functioning of the clock plays a pivotal role in the temporal regulation of a w...

Introduction: Especially during infancy and early childhood the role of maternal employment for child mental health problems has been investigated. This systematic review with meta-analysis covers very recent evidence on the variables’ of interest association. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted. Studies had to compare children 0–...

Background To contain the spread of COVID-19, governmental measures were implemented in many countries. Initial evidence suggests that women and men experience increased anger and aggression during COVID-19 lockdowns. Not surprisingly, media reports and initial empirical evidence highlight an increased risk for domestic violence (DV) during the pan...

Background: Parental work stress and impaired mental health seem to have intensified during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Both can have a negative impact on parent-child bonding: psychosocial work stress in the course of a spillover effect from work to family and symptoms of impaired mental health as part of a crossover effect from parent to child...

Background The subjective experience of giving birth to a child varies considerably depending on psychological, medical, situational, relational, and other individual characteristics. In turn, it may have an impact on postpartum maternal mental health and family relationships, such as mother–infant bonding. The objective of the study was to evaluat...

The cross-sectional study INVITE ( IN timate partner VI olence care and T reatment pr E ferences in postpartum women) aims to examine treatment and counseling preferences and barriers in relation to the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV), depression and anxiety, and (childbirth-related) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among postpart...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted working parents with an accumulation of stressors regarding changes in work, family, and social life, putting their mental health at risk. Stressors include altered working conditions such as working from home or changes in working hours as well as the difficulty to reconcile work and childcare due t...

Objective: To explore the longitudinal associations between prepartum fear of childbirth (FOC), birth experience, and postpartum mother-child-bonding, and the potential mediator role of the birth experience. Design: Women from the prospective cohort study DREAM completed questionnaires during pregnancy, 8 weeks, and 14 months after the birth. Parti...

Objective The aim of this study was to examine changes in perceived social support from early pregnancy to 2 years postpartum and to test whether these changes (a) differ between mothers and fathers or (b) vary as a function of the Big Five personality traits.Background Higher peripartum social support in (expectant) mothers and fathers has been as...

Background : The transition to parenthood is characterized by far-reaching changes in life. However, little prospective-longitudinal evidence from general population samples exists on changes of general physical and mental health in the years around the birth of a child among mothers and fathers. Methods : Using data from the German Socio-Economic...

Background High numbers of women experience a traumatic birth, which can lead to childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) onset, and negative and pervasive impacts for women, infants, and families. Policies, suitable service provision, and training are needed to identify and treat psychological morbidity following a traumatic bir...

Postpartum mental disorders – manifestations and effects Postpartum disorders are highly prevalent and due to their complexity require early detection and treatment that involves the infant. The entire range of F-diagnoses according to ICD-10-GM can occur, be it as new manifestations or as an exacerbation of pre-existing conditions. The etiology of...

Early parent-child therapy fostering bonds in the case of psychological disorders in the postpartum period Psychological disorders and traumatization can have a negative influence on parental behavior with negative effects on the parent-child relationship and the child’s attachment development. The goals of early dyadic treatment of mother or fathe...

Background Previous research suggests that less emotionally stable, less conscientious, less extraverted, and less agreeable women tend to suffer from higher fear of childbirth and experience their delivery as worse. Moreover, there is evidence that birth characteristics and unexpected incidents during delivery may impact women’s birth experiences....

Challenges during the perinatal period can lead to maternal distress, negatively affecting mother-infant interaction. This study aims to retrospectively explore the experiences and needs regarding professional support of mothers with difficulties in mother-infant interaction prior to their admission to an infant mental health day clinic. In-depth s...

Es handelt sich um die deutsche Version der City Birth Trauma Scale, ein Fragebogen, welcher postpartale PTBS messen kann.

Background: About 3–4% of women in community samples suffer from childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Surprisingly, the recently developed City Birth Trauma Scale (City BiTS) was the first diagnostic tool for childbirth-related PTSD covering DSM-5 criteria for PTSD. Since no questionnaire on childbirth-related PTSD is available...

Background : This study aims to examine whether physical activity (PA) before and during pregnancy and birth experience predict incident postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms. Because PA may increase endurance and feelings of physical control, it may contribute to a positive birth experience and birth experience may mediate the association between P...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251260.].

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether preoperative depressive symptoms influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after middle ear surgery in patients with chronic otitis media (COM). Methods: This prospective clinical case study was conducted at a tertiary referral center. All 102 patients who had undergone middle ear su...

Domestic violence causes a variety of adverse consequences for physical and mental health. While this kind of violence is also highly prevalent at other times, preliminary evidence suggests that it may be of particular relevance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Provisional studies and reports point to possible changes in prevalence figures...

Extensive literature has shown that interparental conflicts and violence have detrimental effects on children's adjustment in childhood and adolescence. It is not equally well-understood how parental relationship satisfaction impacts infant communicational and personal-social development during the first year of life. This longitudinal study examin...

Background . Certain populations are at high risk of experiencing a traumatic event and developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, primary preventive interventions against PTSD are lacking. It is therefore crucial to identify pre-traumatic risk factors, which could be targeted with such interventions. Insomnia may be a good candidate, b...

Background: Father-infant bonding is important for child development. Yet, in contrast to mother-infant bonding, little is known about factors that might facilitate father-infant bonding. With new generations of fathers being more involved in childcare, this study aims to examine the impact of paternal leave duration on father-infant bonding, and w...

Introduction: Some women keep on recalling intense labor pain experienced at childbirth to a degree that it may negatively affect their life during the postpartum period or lead them to request a cesarean section (CS) in the subsequent delivery. This longitudinal study aimed to assess the impact of severe recalled labor pain from the previous birt...

Zusammenfassung Der Geburtsvorgang ist ein tiefgreifendes Erlebnis und geht zumeist mit starken Schmerzen einher. Neben medizinischen Komplikationen können aber auch subjektive Faktoren das Geburtserleben beeinflussen. Dazu zählen unter anderem bisherige Erfahrungen mit Schwangerschaft und Geburt, frühere traumatische Erlebnisse und Geburtserwartun...

Zusammenfassung Der Bindungsaufbau von (werdenden) Müttern und Vätern zu ihrem Kind hat große Bedeutung für das psychische Wohlbefinden der Eltern und des Kindes. Dies gilt insbesondere dann, wenn bei den Eltern bereits psychische Beschwerden wie Depressionen vorhanden sind. Darüber hinaus können frühkindliche Bindungserfahrungen sowohl die psychis...

Zusammenfassung Während der Schwangerschaft und nach der Geburt kann es bei Frauen und Männern zu psychischen Beschwerden kommen. Am häufigsten finden sich Ängste in Bezug auf die Schwangerschaft und die Geburt sowie prä- und postpartal erhöhte Depressionswerte. Bei Populationen mit besonderen Belastungen, wie den Eltern von Frühgeborenen, ist darü...

Introduction Work-life conflicts (WLC) may impact health, but few studies prospectively consider the impact of WLC on objective outcomes such as cardiovascular disease. Using data from the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS), we examined if WLC at baseline was associated with an increased five-year incidence of cardiovascular events (myocardial infarct, s...

Background : Evidence on risk factors of birth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in mothers is increasing, whereas fathers are less examined. This study aims to determine differential predictors of PTSD symptoms in mothers and fathers. Methods : Data derive from the DREAM study, including 1,146 mothers and 828 fathers. We asses...

Background: During the transition to parenthood, a complex network of relationships unfolds between father, mother and the child. Expectant parents begin bonding with their unborn child, with this antenatal process supposedly being predictive for later postnatal attachment and child mental health. At the same time, couples may experience a change i...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.572755.].

While the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to stay home and minimize their social contacts, newspaper reports worldwide raised concerns as they reported an increasing rate of intimate partner violence (IPV). One link of the measures enforced to control the pandemic to IPV might be a possible side effect of those measures, namely social a...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects individuals and families from all backgrounds, regardless of their ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, or religion. Pregnancy and childbirth could be a time of vulnerability to violence because of changes in physical, emotional, social, and economic demands and needs. Prevalence of IPV again...

Background Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental disorder. Certain drugs, such as morphine and nitrous oxide gas (N2O), are administered to individuals who just experienced a traumatic event (e.g., soldiers, injured civilians). It is therefore crucial to understand if they incidentally affect PTSD symptom development. Furthe...

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests a persistent impact of perinatal exposure to maternal stress on the infant. In utero, the fetus is particularly vulnerable to maternal stress and mental health complications with various long-term consequences. This study examines the prospective relationship of subclinical maternal perinatal life stress...

Background: Meta-analyses suggest an increased prevalence of paternal depression during the perinatal period of around 10%. The relationship between paternal and maternal symptoms, however, has received little attention. Objective: To determine pooled estimates pertaining to the relationship between paternal and maternal depression during the perin...

Objective: To assess the impact of severe recalled labour pain from the previous birth on the preference and delivery of an elective cesarean section (CS) in the subsequent delivery. Design: A population-based, longitudinal study. Setting Akershus University Hospital, Norway. Population In total, 1,244 parous women recruited during routine fetal u...

Background: The majority of Western women work during their reproductive years, but past research has often neglected the influence of work-related factors on postpartum mental health. Especially postpartum depression (PPD) is an enormous psychological burden for mothers. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prospective impact of precario...

The parent-infant bond following childbirth is an important facilitator of optimal infant development. So far, research has mainly focused on mother-infant bonding. Data on fathers are still sparse. Parental mental health, such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD), may influence mother-infant relations and/or interactions. There is evidence that...

This longitudinal population-based study aimed to investigate the prospective relationship between PTSD symptoms following childbirth and prenatal attachment in the subsequent pregnancy. Data were derived from the Norwegian Akershus Birth Cohort (ABC), a large population-based prospective cohort study. Data from 1473 women who had given birth at le...

Anxiety in the antenatal period is a common experience, associated with adverse consequences for mother and child. Specific types of prenatal anxiety may have unique associations with infant temperament. This study examines the prospective relationships between general prenatal anxiety, fear of childbirth, and specific prenatal anxiety disorders an...