Women veteran transition mental health and well-being support group programs: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The military is a male-dominated environment and culture in which women veterans can experience significant institutional prejudice. Transition can be confusing and isolating for women veterans. Group programs are an important source of transition support. However, we know little about the specific group program needs of women veterans. OBJECTIVES: To examine mental health and well-being support group programs delivered to women veterans, to understand what they value and find most helpful. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Women military veterans (all types); empirical studies using any design; published between 1990 and 2022; group programs focused on transition issues (such as housing, employment, education, physical health, mental health). SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: Peer-reviewed journals and theses. CHARTING METHODS: Six databases searched: Medline (via Ovid SP), PsycINFO (via Ovid SP), EmCare (via Ovid SP), CINAHL, Scopus, and ProQuest. RESULTS: There was significant heterogeneity across 35 included studies in type of groups, program content and structure, length of sessions, measurement of impact, follow-up, and so forth. Most programs were delivered face to face. Physical health and preventative healthcare were important topics for women veterans, particularly reproductive health, mental health, and chronic pain. Groups that included physical activity, creative arts, and alternative therapies were beneficial to women's physical and mental health. Strengths-based women-only groups, facilitated by women, that created safe spaces for women veterans to share their experiences, enhanced self-expression, agency, and self-empowerment. This was particularly important for women who had experience military sexual trauma. CONCLUSION: This review found a small but diverse range of group programs available for women veterans. Many program evaluations were of moderate or low quality and lacked sufficient information to determine whether benefits were sustained over time. No studies involved Australian women veterans. Despite these concerns, this review highlighted several useful lessons that could help inform improved design, delivery, and evaluation of group programs for women veterans.

Review of women veteran transition mental health and well-being support group programsWomen veterans learn to become soldiers, sailors and aviators in a male-dominated environment and culture in which their presence is highly visible, challenged and often subject to institutional prejudice. Transition can be confusing and isolating for women veterans. We know little about the specific needs of women veterans to support them to transition successfully to civilian life. Group programs are an important source of transition and post-transition support for veterans. The aim of this review was to examine the existing literature on mental health and well-being support group programs delivered to women veterans to understand what women veterans value and find most helpful in the design and delivery of such programs. Thirty-five studies were included in this review; 33 of these were conducted in the United States. They were of mixed quality and diverse design. Women only groups were favored. Strengths-based Programs that help to build emotional strengths, agency and empowered women were valued by them. Physical health and preventative healthcare are important topics for group programs for women veterans, as are creative arts and alternative therapies that facilitate self-expression and self-empowerment.

Evaluation of Types of Traumatic Events and Comorbid Mental and Physical Diseases in Adults with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: In this study, mental and physical illnesses, types of traumatic events, frequency of recurrence and sociodemographic characteristics of patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were examined. Methods: The study included the files of 179 patients over the age of 18 who were admitted to the psychiatry outpatient clinic between 01.12.2010 and 31.01.2023 and diagnosed with PTSD. The data was obtained from the hospital automation system and national database. Results: Of the 44 patients diagnosed with a single comorbid mental illness, 45.5% had mixed anxiety and depressive disorder and 36.4% had a depressive disorder. The rate of patients with comorbid mental illness in PTSD was 51.4%, and chronic physical illness was observed in 59.8%. In our study, sexual trauma and domestic violence had the highest recurrence rates among traumatic events (80%). Conclusion: Comorbid mental and physical illnesses are common in PTSD. The lack of adequate examination time and an appropriate therapeutic environment causes this diagnosis to be missed by clinicians and prevents patients from getting an ideal health service. In order to prevent recurrences of sexual traumas and domestic violence, the competent authorities must make practices of protecting socially disadvantaged groups more effective and act in accordance with international conventions.

HPV self-collection for cervical cancer screening among survivors of sexual trauma: a qualitative study.

Intimate partner violence affects 20-30% of women in the United States. Disparities in routine cervical cancer surveillance have been demonstrated in certain populations, including victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study examined and assessed the acceptability of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) self-collection among individuals who have experienced IPV. We conducted an observational study using qualitative data collection and analysis. We interviewed individuals with a history of IPV and who currently reside in Oregon. This study identified key themes describing knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer screening for individuals who have experienced IPV. They include: guideline knowledge, prior office-based cervical cancer screening experience, barriers to cervical cancer screening, at-home hrHPV self-collection experience, and testing confidence. Participants experienced fewer barriers and expressed increased comfort and control with hrHPV self-collection process. Individuals with a history of IPV have lower rates of cervical cancer screening adherence and higher rates of cervical dysplasia and cancer than other populations. The patient-centered approach of hrHPV self-collection for cervical cancer screening can reduce barriers related to the pelvic exam and empower patients to reduce their risks of developing cervical cancer by enabling greater control of the testing process.

Betrayal Trauma and Histrionic Personality Pathology.

Histrionic personality disorder is among the most common forms of personality pathology, and recent research on it has focused on its associations with trauma. This research has focused primarily on the types of traumatic experiences people endure, highlighting the role of sexual trauma in particular. However, recent research on the association between traumatic events and histrionic personality characteristics has not taken into account the role of traumatic experiences characterized by interpersonal betrayal, which research suggests is associated with personality pathology in general. In this study, we examine this, evaluating the association between traumatic experiences with varying degrees of betrayal on histrionic personality characteristics in a sample of men and women recruited online (N = 364). Results suggested that interpersonal trauma without a high degree of betrayal as well as non-interpersonal trauma had positive associations with histrionic personality characteristics, but interpersonal trauma with a high degree of betrayal did not. Further analysis indicated that sexual trauma both with and without a component of betrayal was associated with histrionic personality characteristics for women but not men. Study findings add to the research on the potential traumatogenic origins of histrionic personality characteristics and provide numerous directions for future research.

Defining military sexual trauma: establishing parameters and perspectives.

Background: The term military sexual trauma [MST] is increasingly used to describe instances of sexual harassment/assault that occur between serving personnel during military service. However, in the absence of a clear universal definition, MST is an increasingly contested term, with confusion about its scope, application to differing jurisdictions and implications for responses and treatment.Objective: This editorial provides a universal definition of MST, decoupled from any national system or framework.Method: Drawing on existing international evidence about the nature and impact of MST.Results and Conclusion: We argue that MST terminology provides a unique framing which recognises the institutional nature of MST victimisation and situates the context, behaviours, and impact on a continuum of violence.

MST terminology provides understanding and acknowledgement of the nuances of sexual harassment/assault in the military institution.MST terminology should encompass a continuum of sexual violence.Drawing on existing military health research, the authors contend that MST should be considered as a distinctive traumatic stressor.

"Mend the rift" therapeutic model for working with sibling sexual abuse: Professionals' perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Sibling sexual abuse (SSA) is considered the most prevalent and longest-lasting type of interfamilial sexual abuse. The psychological implications of SSA may be felt throughout the harmed siblings' lifespan. Nevertheless, SSA receives very little therapeutic attention. OBJECTIVE: The present study explores how professionals dealing with the phenomenon see how to work with such cases. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Fifty-two professionals working in the field of SSA participated in the study and completed closed and open-ended questionnaires. METHODS: A mixed-method research approach was implemented to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the professionals' responses. RESULTS: The findings addressed three main intervention aspects. The first comprised the key unique therapeutic themes of SSA interventions that differentiate the SSA therapeutic process from other child sexual abuse cases. These included complex familial dynamics (e.g., secrecy climate, loyalty conflict, and intergenerational transmission of trauma) and at-home risk. The second addressed the therapeutic goals, including rebuilding family relationships and promoting safety strategies at home. The third was the SSA intervention structure, defining the structural elements of a holistic therapeutic model for family care. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings, a therapeutic model for family intervention in SSA cases was proposed, aiming to define service characteristics, determine who should be involved in the therapeutic process, and identify who should lead the intervention. The research contributes to the advancement of the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to address the inherent familial complexities in SSA cases and the enhancement of the therapeutic orientation for professionals involved in such cases.

"I Felt Dirty in a Way a Shower Wouldn't Fix": A Qualitative Examination of Sexual Trauma-Related Mental Contamination.

Trauma-related mental contamination (MC) is a distressing sense of dirtiness that arises absent a contaminant following a traumatic event. Existing work has linked MC to more severe posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among individuals with sexual trauma histories and has begun to characterize some aspects of the experience of trauma-related MC. However, a more nuanced understanding of how individuals experience and respond to trauma-related MC is lacking. The present study explored lived experiences of trauma-related MC among a sample of 34 women with sexual trauma histories using semi-structured qualitative interviews. Women were asked about MC across several domains, including somatic locations where trauma-related MC is experienced; triggers for trauma-related MC; and engagement in MC-related coping strategies, including washing behaviors. Women reported experiencing trauma-related MC in various bodily locations (internal, external, and both). Both overtly trauma-related triggers (e.g., trauma-relevant people or words, sexual contact) and non-trauma-related triggers (e.g., sweating, being around other people) were mentioned. Women also reported experiencing a variety of emotions alongside trauma-related MC (e.g., disgust, shame, anger) and using a range of strategies to cope with trauma-related MC, including washing behaviors, distraction, and substance use. Findings suggest that triggers for and responses to trauma-related MC are heterogeneous. Future work should explore the role of context in individuals' experiences of and responses to trauma-related MC, as well as whether experiences of trauma-related MC may differ by gender or across settings. Increased understanding of trauma-related MC may inform efforts to more readily and effectively identify and target MC in clinical practice.

Child sexual abuse versus adult sexual assault: A review of psychological and neurobiological sequelae.

Sexual trauma (ST) occurs with alarming frequency in the United States (U.S.) in the form of both childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adulthood sexual assault (ASA). It is well-established that the effects of ST are pervasive, and that ST can be a risk factor for the development of several psychiatric disorders. However, the potential for distinct psychological consequences or neural correlates between CSA and ASA has received little attention. Furthermore, despite the high prevalence of sexual revictimization, the combinatorial effects of CSA and ASA are understudied in comparison to each form of ST on its own. In the current review, we present results from both clinical psychology and neuroscience research on the impacts of CSA and ASA, describing major psychological, biopsychosocial, and neuroimaging findings for each form of ST. We further highlight limitations in the current state of the research and needed areas of future research to better understand the distinct, overlapping, and cumulative effects of ST in both childhood and adulthood. The present study summarizes the state of the literature on this critical form of trauma and provides recommendations for future clinical research practices to mitigate the deleterious outcomes of ST.

Coping with sexual violence as a post-assault formed couple: A dyadic phenomenological interview analysis.

Increasing evidence shows that survivors of sexual violence frequently experience relationship difficulties following their victimization. Little is known regarding how couples which formed post-assault cope with the impact of the prior assault. Hence, the aim of the current study was to gain insight into post-assault formed couples' experiences in coping with the impact of sexual violence. To this end, an interview study was conducted with five female survivors and their male partners who began their romantic relationship post-assault. A dyadic phenomenological interview analysis revealed that sexual victimization is a dyadic stressor but is not always considered as such by the couple. In addition, disclosure is described as a potential bonding experience. Flexibility and creativity from both partners are required as they adapt to the post-assault impact. In addition, meaningful communication and considering the perspective of one's partner seemed to be key to dyadically cope successfully. The current study also identified challenges couples had to manage, including caregiver burden and role confusion. Results suggest that interventions supporting couples in their continuous efforts toward mutual understanding can foster trust and growth.

Attitudes towards and health consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting: A qualitative study among Somali and Kurdish immigrants and descendants in Denmark.

Objectives: There is lack of in-depth knowledge of how immigrants who originate from countries where female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) historically is practiced, perceive the practice after migrating to Europe. The aim of this study was to explore the attitude towards FGM/C among immigrants and descendants and the health consequences of living with FGM/C. Study design: Qualitative methods were used in the form of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Female and male immigrants and descendants in Denmark from Somalia or Kurdish of Iraq/Iran participated in the study. The interview/focus group discussion guides were developed by the European Institute for Gender Equality. Purposely sampling was used, and participants were recruited by use of snowballing through gatekeepers and women's societies working within the Somali and Kurdish communities. Results: Sixteen persons participated in the study. No descendants had been cut, but all female immigrants had been cut prior to migrating and did not wish to pass on the practice. FGM/C was perceived as a harmful practice with severe sexual and mental health consequences. Women with Somali origin experienced that the practice was falsely associated with their origin, which led to stigmatisation. Women with Kurdish origin lacked healthcare support when suffering sexual consequences of FGM/C. It was generally perceived that the Danish healthcare system lacked cultural sensitivity. Conclusion: FGM/C is negatively perceived among Somali and Kurdish immigrants and descendants in Denmark and not practiced among these groups. The Danish healthcare system should adopt a more culturally sensitive approach when addressing sexual health among immigrants and descendants. Denmark and other European countries should work towards destigmatising the immigrant communities when it comes to FGM/C. Larger European studies with primary data are needed to generalise the findings of this study.

Military sexual trauma and lower relationship satisfaction are associated with suicide risk among male service members and veterans.

Male service members/veterans die by suicide at increased rates relative to civilians and females in the military, with risk increasing following military sexual trauma (MST) exposure. Suicide theories emphasize the role of feeling connected to others, and in the context of romantic relationships, it is possible that higher relationship satisfaction buffers the effects of MST. That said, MST exposure is associated with higher relationship distress, so the potential buffering effects are unclear. The current brief report assessed the interaction of relationship satisfaction and MST exposure as correlates of suicide risk among a convenience sample of 290 partnered male service members/veterans. This secondary analysis utilized a survey to assess MST exposure, relationship satisfaction, suicide risk, and demographics. Using linear regression, suicide risk was regressed on MST exposure, relationship satisfaction, and their interaction, as well as demographic covariates. The average score for relationship satisfaction suggested distressed relationships (M=13.41, SD= 4.55) and 16.21% (n=47) reported MST. Suicide risk was elevated (M=5.95, SD=3.23). The linear regression revealed that MST exposure (B=1.21, p=.02) and lower relationship satisfaction (B=-0.97, p<.001) were individually associated with higher suicide risk; however, their interaction was non-significant (p>.05). MST exposure and satisfaction in one's romantic relationship have unique and separate associations with suicide risk. Relationship satisfaction did not buffer the effects of MST on suicide, and this may be due to overall poor satisfaction scores. Notwithstanding, findings highlight the need to address both MST exposure and relationship satisfaction to reduce risk of suicide.

Longitudinal changes in the PTSD symptom network following trauma-focused treatment in military populations: Identifying central symptoms and the role of military sexual trauma.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition affecting military populations, with a higher prevalence compared to the general population. Despite the development of first-line trauma-focused treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), a significant proportion of patients continue to experience persistent PTSD symptoms following treatment. This study utilized network analysis to explore the PTSD symptom network's dynamics pre- and post- trauma-focused treatment and investigated the role of military sexual trauma (MST) history in shaping the network. Network analysis is a novel approach that can guide treatment target areas. The sample was comprised of 1648 service members and veterans who participated in a two-week intensive PTSD treatment program, which included completion of evidenced-based individual therapy as well as skill-building focused group therapy. PTSD severity was assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 at baseline and post-treatment. Network analyses revealed strong connections within symptom clusters, with negative emotions emerging as one of the most central symptoms. Interestingly, the symptom network's overall structure remained stable following treatment, whereas global strength significantly increased. MST history did not significantly impact the network's structure or its change relative to treatment. Future research should further examine whether targeting negative emotions optimizes PTSD treatment outcomes for military populations.

Profiles of mental illness in college students and associated factors: A latent class analysis.

Mental illness among university students poses a pressing challenge for educational institutions, urging the need for strategies that foster health and mitigate mental distress, with an emphasis on preventing suicide. Our study sought to discern the profiles of mental illness among college students and explore the factors associated with them. We examined data from 918 students at a Brazilian Federal Institute, utilizing Latent Class Analysis and multinomial regression for our analyses. We identified three distinct mental illness profiles: Anxiety with Low Suicide Risk; Mental Illness with Moderate Suicide Risk; and Mental Illness with High Suicide Risk. We observed a reduced association of these profiles with religious beliefs. Conversely, there was a heightened association with cisgender women, individuals identifying as LGBTQI+, those with learning disabilities, and victims of sexual violence. Our findings underscore the importance of tailored prevention and health promotion programs to enhance student well-being. There's a compelling need to devise mental health strategies tailored to the specific needs of the identified groups, particularly students from the LGBTQI + community, survivors of sexual abuse, and those grappling with learning disabilities.

Differential Indirect Effects of Military Sexual Trauma on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Clusters via Past-Year Intimate Partner Violence Experiences.

Women who serve in the military are at high risk for experiencing military sexual trauma (MST) and intimate partner violence (IPV), both of which are associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To improve understanding of the psychological effects of experiencing multiple forms of interpersonal violence, it is important to identify the ways in which recent IPV experiences differentially increase the risk of specific PTSD symptom clusters for women with a history of MST. We aimed to identify if past-year IPV experiences mediate the relation between MST experiences and PTSD symptom clusters (i.e., intrusions, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions/mood, hyperarousal) using structural equation modeling. A mail survey was administered to a sample of US female veterans at two time points 12 months apart. Among 198 participants, 108 women (54.5%) reported MST at Time 1, and 73 women (36.9%) reported IPV experiences in the past year at Time 2. PTSD symptom severity ranged from asymptomatic to beyond the diagnostic cutoff for a probable PTSD diagnosis. Past-year IPV experiences significantly mediated the association between MST history and PTSD avoidance symptoms, and MST history and PTSD negative alterations in cognitive/mood symptoms. No significant mediating effect was found for intrusion symptoms or hyperarousal symptoms. These findings can inform evidence-based practices for appropriate screening, assessment, detection, and intervention, including primary and secondary prevention efforts to instrumentally reduce future experiences of violence for female survivors of interpersonal violence.

Military sexual trauma, combat trauma, and disordered eating among United States veterans: An exploration of underlying mechanisms.

Military sexual trauma (MST) and combat trauma (CT) survivors experience disproportionate risk for disordered eating. A survey of MST, CT, disordered eating, trauma-related self-blame, emotion regulation challenges, body dissatisfaction, and dissociation among military personnel with a history of military-related trauma was conducted. These survey-based cross-sectional data were analyzed via parallel mediation analyses and Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVA). Six parallel mediation analyses were conducted examining trauma-related self-blame, emotion regulation challenges, body dissatisfaction, and dissociation as mediators linking MST and CT, separately, with purging, restricting, and bingeing. ANCOVAs were also performed to examine differences in levels of bingeing, restriction, and purging among people exposed to MST, CT, both MST and CT, and neither. MST and CT exposure was indirectly related to bingeing via emotion regulation challenges. MST and CT was also indirectly related to both restriction and purging via emotion regulation challenges and trauma-related self-blame. Dissociation and body dissatisfaction were not significant mediators in any model. Participants endorsed high levels of disordered eating. Individuals exposed to both MST and CT reported greater bingeing, restricting, and purging than individuals exposed to either CT, MST, or neither. Findings highlight the nuanced symptoms that may increase risk for disordered eating among MST and/or CT survivors. Future treatment research should explore how addressing emotion regulation and trauma-related self-blame among individuals with MST and/or CT may help address disordered eating. Implications and future directions for this area of research are discussed.

Exploring the roles of compassion and post-traumatic stress disorder on global distress after sexual trauma.

OBJECTIVES: Recovery from sexual trauma can be complex and multi-faceted. Most current psychological treatment protocols for trauma use a cognitive model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, sexual trauma may include specific complexities beyond that of a cognitive model of PTSD, such as relational factors. The distress experienced after sexual abuse may involve variables not exclusive to a PTSD model. Compassion focused therapy (CFT) is an approach that incorporates evolutionary, relational and social perspectives. This study explored the relationships between variables associated with CFT, PTSD and distress in survivors of sexual abuse to determine the role of CFT-related variables. METHODS: 155 adults who had experienced sexual abuse or any unwanted sexual experience at any point in their lives completed online questionnaires pertaining to various CFT variables (self-compassion, receiving compassion from others, having a fear of compassion from others, having a fear of compassion from the self, shame and self-criticism) and questionnaires measuring global distress as the outcome of sexual abuse and PTSD symptoms. RESULTS: An exploratory model involving CFT-related variables explained significantly more of the variance (4.4%) in global distress than PTSD symptomology alone. Self-criticism was found to be the variable with significant contribution. CONCLUSIONS: That CFT treatments, targeting self-criticism, should be developed alongside the standard cognitive model of PTSD based treatments for survivors of sexual abuse was supported. Future research may explore experimental designs utilizing CFT in this population, as well as further investigations on the roles of these specific CFT variables.

No Women's Land: Australian Women Veterans' Experiences of the Culture of Military Service and Transition.

Women's experiences of military service and transition occur within a highly dominant masculinized culture. The vast majority of research on military veterans reflects men's experiences and needs. Women veterans' experiences, and therefore their transition support needs, are largely invisible. This study sought to understand the role and impact of gender in the context of the dominant masculinized culture on women veterans' experiences of military service and transition to civilian life. In-depth qualitative interviews with 22 Australian women veterans elicited four themes: (1) Fitting in a managing identity with the military; (2) Gender-based challenges in conforming to a masculinized culture-proving worthiness, assimilation, and survival strategies within that culture; (3) Women are valued less than men-consequences for women veterans, including misogyny, sexual harassment and assault, and system failures to recognize women's specific health needs and role as mothers; and (4) Separation and transition: being invisible as a woman veteran in the civilian world. Gendered military experiences can have long-term negative impacts on women veterans' mental and physical health, relationships, and identity due to a pervasive masculinized culture in which they remain largely invisible. This can create significant gender-based barriers to services and support for women veterans during their service, and it can also impede their transition support needs.

Sexual Assault History May Moderate Posttraumatic Cognition and Posttraumatic Stress Among Trauma-Exposed Sexual Minority Women.

Sexual minority women (SMW) are highly vulnerable to trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following trauma exposure. Negative posttraumatic cognitions (i.e., negative cognitions about self, world, and self-blame following trauma exposure) are hypothesized to exacerbate and maintain the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms. Posttraumatic cognitions are particularly important to examine in relation to PTSD symptoms among trauma-exposed SMW given their elevated risk for trauma exposure and PTSD. It is also important to understand whether the strength of this relationship differs as a function of trauma type to elucidate potentially differential pathways for risk by trauma type in this population. The current study explored whether trauma type (sexual assault vs. nonsexual trauma) moderated the relationship between negative posttraumatic cognitions and PTSD symptom severity among a sample of trauma-exposed SMW. Participants were SMW (n = 516) users of an online survey platform, Prolific. Data were collected via 20-minute online survey. Results indicated that trauma type moderated the relationship between negative posttraumatic cognitions and PTSD symptom severity, such that the relationship was stronger among those who had experienced at least one sexual assault in their lifetime. Results suggest that negative posttraumatic cognitions may be more strongly related to PTSD symptom severity among SMW who have experienced at least one sexual assault. Notably, this difference was in magnitude only, as the posttraumatic cognition-PTSD symptom relationship remained significant among nonsexual trauma survivors. Negative posttraumatic cognitions may be an especially relevant treatment target among SMW survivors of sexual assault.

[Clinical case of penile fracture].

A clinical case of a penile fracture as a result of an unsuccessful sexual intercourse, which later required surgical treatment in the form of corporoplasty with opening and draining of the hematoma, is discussed in the article. Penile fracture is a rare urological emergency that requires immediate medical attention to avoid long-term complications, including penile curvature and erectile dysfunction.

Childbirth experiences of women with a history of physical, sexual, and child abuse: a cross-sectional study of 2,575 Russian women.

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of women who subsequently become pregnant and give birth have a history of physical, sexual, and/or child abuse. This study investigated the associations of these types of traumas and their cumulative effect with childbirth experiences, namely, mode of birth, maternal and child complications during pregnancy/childbirth, preterm birth, medical procedures, and obstetric violence during labour. METHODS: A group of Russian women (n = 2,575) who gave birth within the previous 12 months, completed a web-based survey, where they provided demographic information, details about their childbirth experiences, and a history of trauma. RESULTS: Women with any type of past abuse were at higher risk for maternal complications during pregnancy/childbirth (exp(ß) < 0.73, p < 0.010 for all). More specific to the type of trauma were associations of physical abuse with caesarean birth, child abuse with complications during pregnancy/childbirth for the baby, and physical and child abuse with obstetric violence (exp(ß) < 0.54, p < 0.022 for all). There was a cumulative effect of trauma for all the outcomes except for medical procedures during childbirth and preterm birth. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into potential different individual effects of physical, sexual, and/or child abuse as well as their cumulative impact on the childbirth experiences. The robust findings about maternal complications during pregnancy/childbirth and obstetric violence highlight the importance of trauma-informed care, supportive policies, and interventions to create safe and empowering birthing environments that prioritise patient autonomy, dignity, and respectful communication.