Xiaofei Nie1,2,*, Amir Pakpour2,3, Yanqiong Ouyang4, Maria Björk2,3
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.6, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2026.078747
- 23 June 2026
Abstract Objectives: This study aims to examine the temporal associations among psychological distress, mindfulness, childbirth trauma, and postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms across the first three months postpartum and test whether mindfulness mediates these longitudinal pathways. Methods: This prospective longitudinal cohort study followed Chinese postpartum women at one week (T1), one month (T2), and three months (T3) after childbirth. A total of 210 women completed baseline assessments, with 173 and 148 participants retained at T2 and T3, respectively. Psychological distress, mindfulness, childbirth trauma, and postpartum PTSD symptoms were assessed using validated self-report measures. Cross-lagged panel models… More >