ArticlePloS one2022
'We felt like part of a production system': A qualitative study on women's experiences of mistreatment during childbirth in Switzerland.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Prevalence of obstetric violence in high-income countries: A systematic review of mixed studies and meta-analysis of quantitative studies.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2025Pooled it
- How Supportive Care Shapes Women's Childbirth Satisfaction: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Mistreatment of women during childbirth and its determinants: a cross-sectional study in Mazandaran/Iran.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Experiences of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in the World Health Organization European region: A mixed-method study among 22 countries.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Feeling wronged: maternity care experiences of black, Sub-Saharan African migrant women living in Belgium during COVID-19.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Childbirth Experience, Mistreatment, and Migrant Status: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2025Article
- A phenomenological study on the traces of obstetric violence in women's birth experiences.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Qualitative Study of Maternity Healthcare Vulnerability Based on Women's Experiences in Different Sociocultural Context.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2025Article
- Experiencing weight stigma during childbirth increases the odds of cesarean birth.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Analysis of Maternity Rights Perception: Impact of Maternal Care in Diverse Socio-Health Contexts.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
- The current status of psychological birth trauma in women who had a vaginal delivery and associated factors: a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Women's Experiences Regarding Maternity Care in a Selected Hospital in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province: A Qualitative Approach.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Women's experiences of disrespect and abuse in Swiss facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative analysis of an open-ended question in the IMAgiNE EURO study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Article
- Persuasion or coercion? An empirical ethics analysis about the use of influence strategies in mental health community care.BMC health services research · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
introductionMistreatment during childbirth is an issue of global magnitude that not only violates fundamental human rights but also seriously impacts women's well-being. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon by exploring the individual experiences of women who reported mistreatment during childbirth in Switzerland. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis project used a mixed methods approach to investigate women's experiences of mistreatment during childbirth in general and informal coercion specifically: The present qualitative study expands on the findings from a nationwide online survey on childbirth experience. It combines inductive with theoretical thematic analysis to study the 7,753 comments women wrote in the survey and the subsequent interviews with 11 women who reported being mistreated during childbirth.
resultsThe women described a wide range of experiences of mistreatment during childbirth in both the survey comments and the interviews. Out of all survey participants who wrote at least one comment (n = 3,547), 28% described one or more experiences of mistreatment. Six of the seven types of mistreatment listed in Bohren and colleagues' typology of mistreatment during childbirth were found, the most frequent of which were ineffective communication and lack of informed consent. Five additional themes were identified in the interviews: Informal coercion, risk factors for mistreatment, consequences of mistreatment, examples of good care, and what's needed to improve maternity care.
conclusionThe findings from this study show that experiences of mistreatment are a reality in Swiss maternity care and give insight into women's individual experiences as well as how these affect them during and after childbirth. This study emphasises the need to respect women's autonomy in order to prevent mistreatment and empower women to actively participate in decisions. Both individual and systemic efforts are required to prevent mistreatment and guarantee respectful, dignified, and high-quality maternity care for all.
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