The Role Of Adult Attachment Style In The Development Of Ptsd Following Childbirth And Its Relationship With Bonding

This study aims to examine the correlations between adult attachment styles, PTSD following childbirth, and bonding, in Saudi and British cultures. A total of 532 (408 Saudi and 124 British) new mothers were recruited online and from clinics. These mothers completed the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS) at 1–12 months post- partum (mean = 9.5 months). Spearman’s Correlations reveal that insecure attachment (high attachment anxiety, low closeness and low dependence scores) is related to PTSD symptoms following childbirth. Women who experience these PTSD symptoms have a poorer quality of bonding with their babies. In terms of mother-infant bonding, lower absence of hostility and poorer quality of attachment, are associated with experiencing PTSD symptoms following birth. These results emerged in both the Saudi and British samples. These findings have clinical implications that support the need for improved prenatal screening for attachment style in order to tailor the birth experience accordingly and thus, promote mother- infant bonding.