South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Camberwell, UK.
Br J Health Psychol. 2015 May;20(2):243-60. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12093. Epub 2014 Mar 12.
This study aimed to explore the experience of writing about a traumatic birth experience and sharing it online.
Twelve women who had submitted their stories about traumatic birth experiences to the Birth Trauma Association for online publication were interviewed about their experiences. Women were interviewed shortly after writing but before posting and again 1 month after the story was posted online. All participants completed both interviews. These were transcribed and analysed using template analysis.
Women described varied reasons for writing and sharing their stories, including wanting to help themselves and others. The process of writing was described as emotional, however was generally seen as a positive thing. Aspects of writing that were identified as helpful included organizing their experiences into a narrative, and distancing themselves from the experience.
Writing and posting online about a traumatic birth is experienced positively by women. It may be a useful self-help intervention and is worthy of systematic evaluation. The mechanisms through which writing is reported to have impacted as described in the interviews link to the mechanisms of change in cognitive-behavioural approaches to post-traumatic symptoms. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Some women develop post-traumatic stress disorder-like symptoms following birth. These can impact on both themselves and their family, yet these women may not seek professional help. Writing about a traumatic event may be a useful approach for reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms, but the impact of online sharing is unknown. What does this study add? This study demonstrates that women report benefits from writing about their birth experiences. Writing enabled organizing the experience into a narrative and distancing from the trauma, which was helpful. Sharing the story online was an emotional experience for participants, however was generally seen positively.
本研究旨在探讨撰写创伤性分娩经历并在网上分享的体验。
对 12 名向分娩创伤协会提交创伤性分娩经历故事以供在线发表的女性进行了采访，以了解她们的经历。女性在撰写后但在发布前以及故事发布在线后 1 个月接受了采访。所有参与者都完成了两次采访。使用模板分析对采访记录进行了转录和分析。
女性描述了撰写和分享故事的各种原因，包括帮助自己和他人。写作过程被描述为情绪化，但总体上被视为积极的事情。被认为有帮助的写作方面包括将经历组织成叙述，并使自己与经历保持距离。
女性对创伤性分娩的在线写作和发布持积极态度。它可能是一种有用的自助干预措施，值得进行系统评估。采访中描述的写作影响的机制与认知行为方法对创伤后症状的改变机制相关。
已知的关于这个主题的内容？一些女性在分娩后会出现类似创伤后应激障碍的症状。这些症状可能会对她们自己和她们的家庭产生影响，但这些女性可能不会寻求专业帮助。撰写创伤性事件可能是减少创伤后应激症状的一种有用方法，但在线分享的影响尚不清楚。
本研究有何新发现？本研究表明，女性报告说从撰写分娩经历中受益。写作使她们能够将经历组织成一个叙述，并与创伤保持距离，这对她们有帮助。与参与者分享故事是一种情绪化的体验，但总体上被视为积极的。
