ReviewEuropean journal of psychotraumatology2020
The effects of PTSD treatment during pregnancy: systematic review and case study.
Review in European journal of psychotraumatology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment in the medical setting: a systematic review.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2024Pooled it
- Interventions from pregnancy to two years after birth for parents experiencing complex post-traumatic stress disorder and/or with childhood experience of maltreatment.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Bridges to treatment satisfaction: the roles of trauma, social support, race and ethnicity among perinatal women receiving behavioural activation therapy.BMC medicine · 2025Trial
- How safe is the treatment of pregnant women with fear of childbirth using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy? Obstetric outcomes of a multi-center randomized controlled trial.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2023Trial
- Effect of Prolonged Exposure, intensified Prolonged Exposure and STAIR+Prolonged Exposure in patients with PTSD related to childhood abuse: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2021Trial
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment for birth trauma: a scoping review.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
- Managing anxiety-related disorders from pregnancy to parenthood.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2026Review
- A Feasibility and Acceptability Trial of Narrative Exposure Therapy During Pregnancy.Behavior therapy · 2026Article
- Estimated Prevalence of Current Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Pregnant Women With Opioid Use Disorder-MATernaL and Infant Clinical NetworK (MAT-LINK), 2014-2021.Journal of addiction medicine · 2026Article
- Review
- Scoping review protocol of the use of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing in the treatment of birth trauma.BMJ open · 2025Article
- A narrative review on emerging issues about war-related trauma in perinatal women: good practice for assessment, prevention, and treatment.Archives of women's mental health · 2025Review
- War in Ukraine vs. Motherhood: Mental health self-perceptions of relocated pregnant women and new mothers.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing for childbirth-related post-traumatic stress symptoms: effectiveness, duration and completion.Frontiers in global women's health · 2025Article
- From pregnancy to the postpartum: Unraveling the complexities of symptom profiles among trauma-exposed women.Journal of affective disorders · 2024Article
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Brazilian Pregnant Women at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Traumatic Childbirth Experience and Childbirth-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Contemporary Overview.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Review
- Risk Factors for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after Childbirth: A Systematic Review.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Engagement in and Benefits of a Short-Term, Brief Psychotherapy Intervention for PTSD During Pregnancy.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Using Theories of Posttraumatic Stress to Inform Perinatal Care Clinician Responses to Trauma Reactions.Journal of midwifery & women's health · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPTSD in pregnant women is associated with adverse outcomes for mothers and their children. It is unknown whether pregnant women with PTSD, or symptoms of PTSD, can receive targeted treatment that is safe and effective.
objectiveThe purpose of the present paper was to assess the effectiveness and safety of treatment for (symptoms of) PTSD in pregnant women.
methodA systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines in Pubmed, Embase, PsychINFO, and Cochrane. In addition, a case is presented of a pregnant woman with PTSD who received eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy aimed at processing the memories of a previous distressing childbirth.
resultsIn total, 13 studies were included, involving eight types of interventions (i.e. trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, EMDR therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, explorative therapy, self-hypnosis and relaxation, Survivor Moms Companion, and Seeking Safety Intervention). In three studies, the traumatic event pertained to a previous childbirth. Five studies reported obstetrical outcomes. After requesting additional information, authors of five studies indicated an absence of serious adverse events. PTSD symptoms improved in 10 studies. However, most studies carried a high risk of bias. In our case study, a pregnant woman with a PTSD diagnosis based on DSM-5 no longer fulfilled the criteria of PTSD after three sessions of EMDR therapy. She had an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery.
conclusionDespite the fact that case studies as the one presented here report no adverse events, and treatment is likely safe, due to the poor methodological quality of most studies it is impossible to allow inferences on the effects of any particular treatment of PTSD (symptoms) during pregnancy. Yet, given the elevated maternal stress and cortisol levels in pregnant women with PTSD, and the fact that so far no adverse effects on the unborn child have been reported associated with the application of trauma-focused therapy, treatment of PTSD during pregnancy is most likely safe.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.