Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Following Childbirth: A Contribution to the Psychometric Evaluation of the Greek Version of the Traumatic Event Scale (TES) (Version B).

Background/

Objectives

Research has shown that postnatal post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms may adversely affect women's lives, their infants' development, and their relationships with their partners. The study aimed to evaluate the psychometric features of the Traumatic Event Scale (TES) (version B) in a sample of Greek postpartum women.

Methods

Two hundred women completed the Greek version of the TES-B (GrTES-B) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at four weeks postpartum.

Results

The GrTES-B data from the sample were applied to the previously established five-factor structure of version A of the TES ("Anticipation of trauma", "Intrusion", Avoidance", "Resignation", and "Hyperstimulation") employing confirmatory factor analysis. Considering that every Cronbach's alpha was greater than 0.7, the factors' reliability proved satisfactory. Significant correlations were observed regarding the convergent and divergent validity, indicating the instrument's sufficient validity.

Conclusions

The Greek version of the TES-B demonstrated satisfactory psychometric characteristics for the assessment of PTS symptoms among Greek postpartum women.