Mean Comparisons of Trauma Symptoms Between a Reproductive Trauma Sample and a Normative Sample: Toward a Trauma-Informed Practice

Objective: Traditionally, adverse reproductive experiences have been described as stressful events for the individuals who experience them. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that the term "stress" minimizes this experience, and adverse reproductive experiences should be reconceptualized as reproductive trauma. Currently, there are few ways that clinicians have agreed are valid pathways to measure trauma symptoms within this population. The purpose of this study was to examine comparisons between a sample of individuals who have experienced reproductive trauma to a normative sample utilizing the Posttraumatic Checklist for the DSM-V (PCL-V).Method: This study utilized a descriptive observational design. Participants indicated what form of adverse reproductive events they had experienced (with options including infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, complicated pregnancy, and distress during delivery), and then completed the PCL-V regarding their experience with this event. These data were compared with a PCL-V normative sample using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) models.Results: Significant mean differences between the reproductive trauma groups and the normative group were found for at least one subscale (intrusion, avoidance, arousal, or changes in mood and cognition) for the infertility group, multiple miscarriages, stillbirth, complicated pregnancy, premature birth, and distress during delivery. Premature birth, distress during pregnancy, and stillbirth groups also noted total trauma scores significantly higher than the normative group.Conclusions: Results validate the use of the term reproductive trauma, despite constraints presented by Criteria A of PTSD in the DSM-V. Results also present indications for clinical treatment and diagnosis for psychologists and health professionals working with this population.