Effect of childbirth experience on the psychological well-being of postpartum women in Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACT

Background

Women’s experience of childbirth can affect their mental health outcomes, many years after the delivery. Consequently, the World Health Organisation has provided recommendations to ensure women receive positive birth experiences during intrapartum care. Yet, negative childbirth experience is widespread in Ghana. This study examined the association between women’s childbirth experience (i.e. own capacity, professional support, perceived safety, and participation) and their psychological well-being, and whether or not perceived social support and resilience moderate the childbirth experience – psychological well-being relationship.

Methods

Mothers (N = 117) who had given birth in the past month and were receiving postnatal care at two health facilities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana provided the data for the current analysis. Data were collected using the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Brief Resilience Scale. Hierarchical Linear Regression was used to analyse the data.

Results

Results showed that childbirth experience domains of own capacity and perceived safety were significantly, and positively associated with psychological well-being. The domains of professional support and participation were not associated with psychological well-being in this sample. Perceived social support and resilience did not moderate the association between childbirth experience and psychological well-being.

Conclusion

The results suggest that efforts by birth practitioners (i.e. midwives, obstetricians, and gynaecologists) to give Ghanaian women positive childbirth experiences through the encouragement of personal control over the birthing process as well as ensuring the safety of the birthing procedure and environment would provide women with optimal mental health outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• Childbirth
• intrapartum care
• maternal health
• mental health
• women

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Consent to participate

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Author’s Contributions

Conceptualization: [Emmanuel Atuesinya Azusong, Enoch Teye-Kwadjo, & Kwaku Oppong Asante]; Investigation: [Emmanuel Atuesinya Azusong, Enoch Teye-Kwadjo, & Kwaku Oppong Asante]; Data curation: [Emmanuel Atuesinya Azusong & Enoch Teye-Kwadjo]; Formal analysis: [Enoch Teye-Kwadjo]; Writing - original draft preparation: [Enoch Teye-Kwadjo]; Writing – review and editing: [Enoch Teye-Kwadjo].

Availability of data and material

The data on which the article reports are available from the corresponding author on written request.

Consent for publication

Consent for publication was obtained from all of the participants included in the study.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.