ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1681808
This article is part of the Research TopicHealth and Psychological Adaptations to Life Challenges and Stressful Conditions - Volume IIView all 6 articles
Sociodemographic predictors of postpartum post-traumatic stress symptoms-cross-sectional study
Provisionally accepted
Julia Marianna Burdecka
Anna Weronika Szablewska*- Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
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Background: Postpartum psychological distress, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PP-PTSD), poses serious risks for maternal and child well-being. The role of sociodemographic predictors remains less understood, particularly in Poland. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among 273 Polish women. Sociodemographic and obstetric information was obtained using a self-designed online questionnaire. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were measured using the DASS-21, and post-traumatic stress symptoms were assessed with the PTSD-8 scale. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between psychological outcomes and sociodemographic predictors. Results: Younger maternal age was linked to higher anxiety, informal relationship status to greater stress, and financial hardship to both stress and depression. Rural residence was associated with elevated anxiety and PTSD symptoms, while non-physiological delivery increased the likelihood of PTSD. Other factors, including education, parity, and miscarriage history, were not significantly associated with psychological outcomes. Conclusions: Sociodemographic and obstetric factors influence postpartum mental health. Targeted screening and support are needed for women facing economic strain, unstable relationships, rural disadvantage, or traumatic birth experiences. Development of culturally adapted Polish screening tools and improved access to trauma-informed perinatal care are recommended
Keywords: post-traumatic stress disorder1, Postpartum depression2, pregnancy3, post-traumaticstress symptoms4, Postpartum Period
Received: 07 Aug 2025; Accepted: 01 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Burdecka and Szablewska. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Anna Weronika Szablewska, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
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