Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Implications for Occupational Therapy in Early Intervention Practice

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present literature regarding perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder and to describe the implications of research findings for occupational therapy screening and treatment in early intervention practice. Changes in legislation regarding early intervention practice and family centered care are presented as a rationale for including maternal mental health screening as a standard practice in the field of early intervention. A case study illustrates symptoms of perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder and the effect on maternal-infant co-occupational engagement. The Model of Human Occupation is used to guide clinical reasoning about potential occupational therapy interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• early intervention
• maternal mental health
• perinatal posttraumatic stress disorder