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- Deforges, Camille, et al.
(author)
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Reducing childbirth-related intrusive memories and PTSD symptoms via a single-session behavioural intervention including a visuospatial task : A proof-of-principle study
- 2022
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In: Journal of Affective Disorders. - : Elsevier. - 0165-0327 .- 1573-2517. ; 303, s. 64-73
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Limitations: The design limits the causal interpretation of observed improvements. Conclusion: 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.
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2. |
- Deforges, Camille, et al.
(author)
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Single-session visuospatial task procedure to prevent childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder : a multicentre double-blind randomised controlled trial
- 2023
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In: Molecular Psychiatry. - : Springer Nature. - 1359-4184 .- 1476-5578. ; 28:9, s. 3842-3850
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Preventive evidence-based interventions for childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) are lacking. Yet, 18.5% of women develop CB-PTSD symptoms following an unplanned caesarean section (UCS). This two-arm, multicentre, double-blind superiority trial tested the efficacy of an early single-session intervention including a visuospatial task on the prevention of maternal CB-PTSD symptoms. The intervention was delivered by trained maternity clinicians. Shortly after UCS, women were included if they gave birth to a live baby, provided consent, and perceived their childbirth as traumatic. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or attention-placebo group (allocation ratio 1:1). Assessments were done at birth, six weeks, and six months postpartum. Group differences in maternal CB-PTSD symptoms at six weeks (primary outcomes) and six months postpartum (secondary outcomes) were assessed with the self-report PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and by blinded research assessors with the Clinician-administered PTSD scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Analysis was by intention-to-treat. The trial was prospectively registered (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03576586). Of the 2068 women assessed for eligibility, 166 were eligible and 146 were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 74) or attention-placebo control group (n = 72). For the PCL-5, at six weeks, a marginally significant intervention effect was found on the total PCL-5 PTSD symptom count (β = −0.43, S.E. = 0.23, z = −1.88, p < 0.06), and on the intrusions (β = −0.73, S.E. = 0.38, z = −1.94, p < 0.0525) and arousal (β = −0.55, S.E. = 0.29, z = −1.92, p < 0.0552) clusters. At six months, a significant intervention effect on the total PCL-5 PTSD symptom count (β = −0.65, S.E. = 0.32, z = −2.04, p = 0.041, 95%CI[−1.27, −0.03]), on alterations in cognition and mood (β = −0.85, S.E. = 0.27, z = −3.15, p = 0.0016) and arousal (β = −0.56, S.E. = 0.26, z = −2.19, p < 0.0289, 95%CI[−1.07, −0.06]) clusters appeared. No group differences on the CAPS-5 emerged. Results provide evidence that this brief, single-session intervention carried out by trained clinicians can prevent the development of CB-PTSD symptoms up to six months postpartum.
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