Effect of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy on the Postpartum Depression, Perceived Stress and Mental Coping Strategies in Traumatic Childbirth: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of dialectical behavioral therapy in reducing the number of psychological complications following traumatic childbirth. Methods: The study included 210 primiparous women who had natural traumatic childbirth. A standardized protocol was designed to decrease postpartum depression score, perceived stress, and increase mental coping strategies. The intervention group received five counseling sessions, and the control group received routine care. Their questionnaires measured the variables before the intervention and at 6th and 12th weeks postpartum. Results: No significant difference observed between the mean scores of all variables before the intervention (Pvalue>0.05). The results of the repeated measure ANOVA showed, after the intervention, at 6th and 12th weeks postpartum, the mean scores of all three variables, including postpartum depression, perceived stress, and mental coping strategies was a statistically significant difference (Pvalue<0.001). Conclusions: Dialectical behavioral therapy can have substantial effects on reducing postpartum depression, reducing perceived stress levels, and increasing the ability to deal with stress in traumatic childbirth.