Psychological Impact of Childbirth among Hispanic Adolescents
Abstract
 Purpose- This study explores the traumatic impact of childbirth among Hispanic teens across a nine month period.
Background- Lacking knowledge and realistic expectations about the birth process and effective coping resources, labor and delivery to the adolescent may be a traumatic experience.
 Methods & Tools - Adolescents 12 to19 years of age at a minimum of 32 weeks gestation are being recruited from one local public hospital and six outreach prenatal clinics. Teens are conveniently selected for one initial face to face interview and four telephone follow-ups.  Three instruments screen for acute and posttraumatic stress, depression and childbirth trauma: the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Childbirth Trauma Index (CTI). Demographics, childbirth characteristics and report of violence, substance use and past trauma is assessed.
Plan for Data Management/ Analysis-  Statistics describe teen characteristics, traumatic features of the childbirth experience, stress, and depression. In consideration of missing data, a mixed model analysis will be used to note patterns of impact and depression across the five data collection points.
Preliminary Findings-  At initial interview, 22.2% of teens perceived childbirth as traumatic, 35% reported S&S of depression (likely reflective of prenatal or chronic depression), and 70% of teens reported acute stress. Across nine months all symptoms are seen to be declining to mild to moderate range.
Conclusions- Teens can perceive childbirth as traumatic and may initially, experience an acute stress reaction that can develop in some teens to posttraumatic stress and/or postpartum depression. This knowledge challenges the labor and delivery and postpartum nurse to work with teens to establish  positive childbirth experiences.