Psychological perspectives on fear of childbirth
- PMID: 27788373
- DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.10.007
Psychological perspectives on fear of childbirth
Abstract
The objective of this narrative review was to examine the literature on fear of childbirth from a psychological perspective, addressing the specificity of childbirth fear, the pathways of fear acquisition, and the physiological, cognitive and behavioral aspects of fear. Systematic procedures for literature search, inclusion and exclusion left 86 original research papers for analysis. Findings summarize the body of knowledge for each area of interest, as well as the number of studies addressing each theme. Overall, few studies adopt a clear-cut psychological perspective, leaving the psychological mechanisms of childbirth fear largely unexplored. Although methodological limitations make conclusions difficult, results give a hint of etiological diversity and possible psychological mechanisms commonly described as transdiagnostic features in anxiety. Systematic investigations of psychological mechanisms, longitudinal studies exploring possible vicious circles of fear, and studies comparing psychological characteristics within the group of women fearing childbirth are identified as research areas of high priority.
Keywords: Anxiety; Avoidance; Childbirth; Fear; Literature review; Pregnancy.
Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Causes and outcomes in studies of fear of childbirth: A systematic review.Women Birth. 2019 Apr;32(2):99-111. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2018.07.004. Epub 2018 Aug 14. Women Birth. 2019. PMID: 30115515
-
Support for pregnant women identified with fear of childbirth (FOC)/tokophobia - A systematic review of approaches and interventions.Midwifery. 2018 Jun;61:97-115. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2018.02.013. Epub 2018 Mar 26. Midwifery. 2018. PMID: 29579696 Review.
-
Examining the content and moderators of women's fears for giving birth: A meta-synthesis.J Clin Nurs. 2018 Jul;27(13-14):2523-2535. doi: 10.1111/jocn.14219. Epub 2018 Jan 30. J Clin Nurs. 2018. PMID: 29243289 Review.
-
Fear of childbirth in primiparous Italian pregnant women: The role of anxiety, depression, and couple adjustment.Women Birth. 2018 Apr;31(2):117-123. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.06.022. Epub 2017 Jul 11. Women Birth. 2018. PMID: 28709777
-
Antenatal psychobiological predictors of psychological response to childbirth.J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2011 Nov-Dec;17(6):417-25. doi: 10.1177/1078390311426454. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc. 2011. PMID: 22142978
Cited by
-
Preferences of support and barriers and facilitators to help-seeking in pregnant women with severe fear of childbirth in Sweden: a mixed-method study.BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024 May 25;24(1):388. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06580-2. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024. PMID: 38796427 Free PMC article.
-
Tokophobia: Psychopathology and Diagnostic Consideration of Ten Cases.Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Feb 21;12(5):519. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12050519. Healthcare (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38470630 Free PMC article.
-
Childbirth self-efficacy and fear of childbirth and their predictors in adolescent and adult pregnant women referring to health centres of Urmia-Iran: a cross-sectional study.BMJ Open. 2023 Oct 17;13(10):e077043. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077043. BMJ Open. 2023. PMID: 37848306 Free PMC article.
-
Fear of childbirth: prevalence and associated factors in pregnant women of a maternity hospital in southern Brazil.BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023 Sep 2;23(1):632. doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05948-0. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023. PMID: 37660013 Free PMC article.
-
Effect of antenatal class attendance on fear of childbirth and antenatal stress.Rev Saude Publica. 2023 Apr 14;57:18. doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057004272. eCollection 2023. Rev Saude Publica. 2023. PMID: 37075401 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
