Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors of Perinatal Trauma: Insights from a Study on the Adaptation of the Perinatal PTSD Questionnaire (PPQ-II) in Poland

Anna Weronika Szablewska^1*Lucyna Wójcicka^2*Arkadiusz Prajzner³Agata Zdun-Ryżewska⁴Julia Burdecka²Dagmara Klasa-Mazurkiewicz⁵

• ¹Division of Obstetric and Gynaecological Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical 4] Medicine,, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
• ²Division of Obstetric and Gynaecological Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
• ³Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, Poland
• ⁴Division of Quality of Life Research, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland
• ⁵Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdańsk, Poland

Background: Perinatal PTSD (CB-PTSD) is a significant psychological condition that may affect mothers after childbirth, with long-term consequences for mental health. Despite growing global interest, limited research has addressed its prevalence and risk factors in Poland. This study aimed to validate the Polish version of the Perinatal PTSD Questionnaire (PPQ-II) and to explore sociodemographic and clinical correlates of CB-PTSD among Polish mothers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in December 2024 with a sample size with 273 Polish mothers using the Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method. The PPQ-II was adapted through translation, back-translation, and expert review. Psychometric evaluation included internal consistency, construct validity, and convergent validity with the PTSD-8 and DASS-21. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) assessed the factor structure. Data analysis employed IBM SPSS 29.0 and Jamovi 2.4, with non-parametric tests examining associations with sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: EFA revealed two main domains: Avoidance/Intrusion and Arousal explaining 62% of total variance. The PPQ-II showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90) and convergent validity. Results of Polish version of the PPQ-II were observed to be positively correlated with PTSD-8 (r = .43 – .85) and DASS-21 (r = .54 – .78). Significant differences in PPQ-II scores were observed across delivery mode, birth complications, and neonatal ICU admission. Higher CB-PTSD symptoms were reported by women undergoing cesarean sections, those whose infants required intensive care, and mothers of children with congenital defects. Lower socioeconomic status was also associated with higher scores. Conclusions: The Polish adaptation of the PPQ-II demonstrates strong reliability and validity for assessing perinatal PTSD. Maternal sociodemographic and clinical factors—particularly delivery method, neonatal complications, and socioeconomic — sformatowano: Kolor czcionki: Automatyczny — sformatowano: Czcionka: 12 pkt Sformatowano: Normalny, Interlinia: pojedyncze — sformatowano: Kolor czcionki: Automatyczny — sformatowano: Nie Wyróżnienie — sformatowano: Nie Wyróżnienie — sformatowano: Nie Wyróżnienie conditions—substantially influence CB-PTSD severity. These findings emphasize the need for psychosocial assessment in per-inatal care and targeted support for high-risk groups to mitigate adverse psychological outcomes.