Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder and racial-ethnic disparities: a literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2026.v16.1566Keywords:
stress disorders, post-traumatic, ethnic and racial minorities, labor; obstetric, childbirth-related PTSD, PTSDAbstract
Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition in which post-traumatic symptoms develop as a result of a traumatic birthing experience. The likelihood of developing childbirth-related PTSD is heavily dependent on subjective birthing experience, of which quality of interaction with healthcare providers has significant influence on. Racial-ethnic minority women face a particularly high risk of developing childbirth-related PTSD. The present review analyzes existing literature on racial-ethnic disparities in childbirth-related PTSD in order to provide a framework to discuss the impact of racial-ethnic background on subjective birthing experience, as well as its influence on the quality of interaction with healthcare providers. Literature findings indicate that racial-ethnic minority women often report poor quality of interaction with healthcare workers during childbirth, citing poor pain management, communication issues, verbal mistreatment that may include racially-insensitive commentary, and infringements upon autonomy. Certain stereotypes related to racial-ethnic minority women’s pain tolerances, intelligence, and conduct may sway healthcare providers’ decisions regarding pain medication management and joint patient-provider decision-making and communication. Despite the important negative implication of these factors, several steps can be taken to reduce their impact, such as culturally-sensitive prenatal treatment and trauma-informed intrapartum care.
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