Reducing childbirth-related intrusive memories and PTSD symptoms via a single-session behavioural intervention including a visuospatial task: A proof-of-principle study.

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State: Public
Version: Final published version
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_17A090DC6029
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Reducing childbirth-related intrusive memories and PTSD symptoms via a single-session behavioural intervention including a visuospatial task: A proof-of-principle study.
Journal
Journal of affective disorders
Author(s)
Deforges C., Fort D., Stuijfzand S., Holmes E.A., Horsch A.
ISSN
1573-2517 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0165-0327
Publication state
Published
Issued date
15/04/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
303
Pages
64-73
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Intrusive memories (IMs) of traumatic events are a key symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and contribute to its maintenance. This translational proof-of-principle study tested whether a single-session behavioural intervention reduced the number of childbirth-related IMs (CB-IMs) and childbirth-related PTSD (CB-PTSD) symptoms, in women traumatised by childbirth. The intervention was assumed to disrupt trauma memory reconsolidation.
In this pre-post study, 18 participants, whose traumatic childbirth had occurred between seven months and 6.9 years before, received an intervention combining childbirth-related reminder cues (including the return to maternity unit) with a visuospatial task. They recorded their daily CB-IMs in the two weeks pre-intervention (diary 1), the two weeks post-intervention (diary 2; primary outcome), and in week 5 and 6 post-intervention (diary 3). CB-PTSD symptom severity was assessed five days pre-intervention and one month post-intervention.
Compared to diary 1, 15/18 participants had ≥ 50% fewer CB-IMs in diary 2. The median (IQR) reduction of the number of CB-IMs was 81.89% (39.58%) in diary 2, and persisted in diary 3 (n = 17). At one month post-intervention, CB-PTSD symptom severity was reduced by ≥ 50% in 10/18 participants. Of the 8 participants with a CB-PTSD diagnosis pre-intervention, none met diagnostic criteria post-intervention. The intervention was rated as highly acceptable.
The design limits the causal interpretation of observed improvements.
This is the first time such a single-session behavioural intervention was tested for old and real-life single-event trauma. The promising results justify a randomized controlled trial, and may be a first step toward an innovative CB-PTSD treatment.
Keywords
Behavior Therapy/methods, Delivery, Obstetric, Female, Humans, Parturition, Pregnancy, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/etiology, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy, Video Games, Behaviour therapy, Childbirth, Intervention, Intrusive memories, Memory reconsolidation, Posttraumatic stress disorder
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
08/02/2022 8:02
Last modification date
27/05/2023 5:50
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