Postpartum Traumatic Stress Disorders Research Program

“It’s after 6am and I wake up in my bed at the delivery room to see a group of nurses standing at my bedside looking very concerned. I immediately can tell that something’s not right. One of the nurses tells me that my baby’s heart rate has spiked really high and isn’t coming down. I start to panic and feel my heart beat faster and my stomach in knots. Two or three minutes later the nurses rush back in and one of them tells me that I need a c-section right now. I ask whether my partner can come and the nurse tells me they have to take me immediately. She puts a hairnet on me as they’re rushing me down the hall. I feel like I have no control. I hold on to my necklace with my daughter’s ashes and pray. I’m all alone and I’m terrified that I’ll lose this baby too.”

“It’s the morning and I'm in the bathroom. I’ve just urinated. Now, I feel something large slide out of me as I stand up. Looking down, my face becomes flushed. There, on the pad in my underwear, I see a very large blood clot approximately the size of a lime. I’m feeling nauseous and my heart quickens. I fear that I’m bleeding again. With my hands trembling, I pull the nurses’ emergency line. Then, 3 nurses come running into the bathroom, and I see they look panicked. I feel lightheaded and jittery. I’m scared I need another surgery.”

“It’s around 11 am and I’m lying on a bed in the operating room and I’ve just had a c-section. They drop the curtain to show me my baby, and I feel sweaty as I look at her. She looks very red and swollen, and I know that something is wrong. My husband tells me that she has swelling on her head because she couldn’t fit, and I feel guilty because she was trying, and I wasn’t helping her. I feel exhausted as I think about what’s going to happen next. With tension in my forehead, I hear the constant chatter between the doctors, but no one will tell me if I’ll be able to do skin to skin and I feel sad.”

“I’m lying cut open on the operating room table and blood rushes to my head. I don’t hear my baby crying, and I think that she’s not alive. They take my baby away, and I see my husband walk past me, looking at me with my insides exposed. The surgeon says, “I don’t like the placement of the bowel, let’s take it out and place it again.” I break out into a sweat and start to have a panic attack as my heart beats faster. Then, I begin to black out and my hands start to shake as I become nauseous.”

“It’s 11:00 pm and I’m lying on the operating room table with three IVs restricting my arms. My husband isn’t in the room and I’m all alone. Bright light shines on me, and my eyes become watery. Immediately I feel sick and begin to vomit. The nurse gives me a puke bag and I’m barely holding it between my left shoulder and chin. Only some of the vomit makes it in. I continue to shake vigorously and feel no control over what is happening. Now, the doctor tells me she needs to do a hysterectomy. My body feels heavy as I think I’ll lose my uterus. I’m concerned I may even lose my life.”

“It’s around 9:30 AM. I am in the labor and delivery unit propped up in a hospital bed with an IV, oxygen saturation monitor, and a fetal heart monitor on my belly. My husband is to the left of me, along with two nurses and a young male anesthesiologist elsewhere in the room. I feel tense all over and my heart begins to beat faster as I remember what happened during my last birthing experience. I ask the anesthesiologist if he had read my file in preparation for today. He says no and even shrugs when I describe my previous birthing experience. I want to scream, my jaw clenches and my stomach feels knotted, but I keep my emotions inside. I feel like everything is unraveling.”

“I’m lying on the birthing bed in the delivery room with my husband and the midwife holding my legs wide open. My heart races and I feel sweaty as the nurse tells me, “next push and she’s going to be here.” Suddenly, someone plops my baby onto me. With my eyes wide open, I look at her big purple face. It doesn’t feel like this is my baby and I feel disconnected, waiting for her to make a sound. Then, my palms are clammy as they quickly take her away and I feel shocked. She doesn’t look right, and I know that something is wrong.”

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988
• Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help: 833-773-2445
• Massachusetts non-urgent help with social needs: 211

• National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis.

Las personas en crisis deben llamar a sus médicos, al número de emergencia local o a una de las Líneas Directas Nacionales de Emergencia que se muestran a continuación.

• Línea de Crisis Nacional- Mensaje de texto : Envia un mensaje de texto con la palabra HOME al 741741 desde cualquier lugar de los EE. UU., en cualquier momento, sobre cualquier tipo de crisis.

• Línea Directa y Sitio Web Nacional para la Prevención del Suicidio : Marque 988

• Postpartum Support International (PSI)
• Helpline: 1-800-944-4773. You can connect with a support coordinator near you and search their online provider directory
• NOTE: The PSI Helpline does not handle emergencies. People in crisis should call their local emergency number or the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
• PSI International Resources

• PSI of Massachusetts provides toll-free and confidential information and support. Leave a message and a volunteer will get back to you within 24 hours. Call 866-472-1897 or Text “Help” to 800-944-4773
• The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
• Helpline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262). This free, confidential service provides access to trained counselors and resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in English and Spanish. They can offer support and information related to before, during, and after pregnancy.
• Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms (MCPAP) promotes maternal and child health by building the capacity of providers serving pregnant and postpartum women and their children up to one year after delivery to effectively prevent, identify, and manage mental health and substance use concerns.
• Jewish Family & Children’s Services offers free Home Visiting Program for new mothers in both English and Spanish.
• Mass PPD Fund offers new parent mental health resources

Maternal mental illness following childbirth is associated with substantial societal costs. An estimated 240,000 American women suffer from childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) each year. Some may struggle with forming an emotional attachment to their infant. Yet, CB-PTSD remains largely underdiagnosed and undertreated, and we want to change this reality through state-of-the art research. This NIH-funded study aims to define the course and predictors of CB-PTSD and its effects on the child, and establish the foundation for preventive and holistic care for both mother and child. We are studying women from the time of pregnancy and at repeated times throughout the first postpartum year. Over 500 pregnant women have been enrolled in this study so far. The study is open to enrollment for women who receive their perinatal care at MGH.

If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact our Clinical Research Coordinator Elli Dassopoulos: edassopoulos@mgh.harvard.edu

There are no established recommendations for interventions to prevent PTSD following childbirth. However, this form of PTSD is an ideal candidate for prevention because we know when the disorder develops, that is, after childbirth, and women are followed as part of routine care during this time period. In this first-of-its-kind study, we are testing whether a brief and early psychological intervention can prevent PTSD following a complicated, highly stressful delivery. The study is funded by the NIH and entails a randomized clinical trial, which is the state-of-the-art study design in clinical research to determine whether a treatment is effective or not. Women are asked to write about their childbirth experience or, as a control group, neutral daily events, in the first postpartum days. Our work furthers the NICHD’s mission that “women avoid harmful effects from reproductive processes and children achieve healthy and productive lives.” ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT05662423. The study is open to enrollment for women who receive their perinatal care at MGH.

If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact our Clinical Research Coordinator Christina Pham: CPHAM4@mgh.harvard.edu

Our recent publication, Preventing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder following Childbirth: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG), reviews options for interventions to prevent or treat childbirth-related PTSD, and offers recommendations for the most effective strategies currently known.

Although large-scale man-made trauma remains a global threat, our knowledge about the impact of terrorism and war on birth outcomes is scarce. This is in part because it is difficult to develop a study during times of crisis. We are collaborating with teams in Israel to study the impact of the October 7th massacre and the Israel-Hamas War on pregnant and postpartum women residing in Israel. Our goal is to collect critical information on women’s mental health and understand how heightened levels of stress may affect birth outcomes. We have enrolled over 1200 women so far, and we are conducting our second phase of data collection.

The study of maternal mental health in developing countries is lacking. Unfortunately, rates of maternal death remain high in certain regions of the world, and accordingly, so do severe complications in childbirth that likely result in developing PTSD. Nigeria is among the leading countries in which the state of maternal mental health is poor: 1,047 out of 100,000 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, with an associated psychological toll. We have collaborated with the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria (Site PI: Prof. Adesina Oladokun) to perform the first-ever study on traumatic childbirth and PTSD. We are investigating the prevalence of maternal PTSD and its risk factors by studying patients in this hospital. We are interested in revealing how social determinants of health, as well as the actual practice of perinatal care, impacts women’s well-being.

Our NIH-funded clinical trial introduces a novel therapeutic approach with the use of oxytocin administered to mothers at risk immediately following childbirth. We are testing whether oxytocin, an anxiolytic and pro-social hormone, can reduce postpartum depression and anxiety and boost mother-infant bonding as well as breastfeeding to the ultimate benefit of the child’s health. Boosting mother-infant bonding at a critical stage for infant development can modify the long-term health trajectory of the child. This study is done in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of Mass General researchers and the Mass General Obstetrics Program. This study is currently in the data analysis phase.  Clinical Trial

As many as a third of women experience a traumatic childbirth, and a significant portion can go on to develop PTSD (CB-PTSD). Nevertheless, research on the underlying biological mechanisms of this maternal condition that can establish disease biomarkers is completely lacking. Neuroimaging is currently the only technique that provides direct, non-invasive access to the living human brain. This NIH-funded study is the first of its kind to examine potential changes in the maternal brain associated with traumatic childbirth and the development of CB-PTSD. We use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tasks to reveal the core neural abnormalities of childbirth-related PTSD and how these abnormalities can mediate problems in early mother-infant attachment and impair healthy child development. Elucidating the neural correlates of postpartum PTSD and yielding clinically relevant biomarkers could translate into the development of new therapies and improve clinical diagnosis. This study is currently in the stage of data analysis; we look forward to sharing our findings soon.

In our paper published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG), A Diagnostic Questionnaire for Childbirth Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Validation Study, we show that the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) questionnaire can be used as an accurate screening tool for CB-PTSD.

Identifying women at risk for postpartum mental health disorders is crucial for implementing preventive treatment tailored to different symptoms. In this NIH-funded large-scale prospective, longitudinal study, we are examining women’s mental health trajectories from pregnancy through childbirth into the early postpartum period. We study the experience of childbirth and subsequent heterogeneous psychological responses to better capture the dynamic nature of postpartum coping over time. We assess negative as well as positive mental health outcomes induced by the childbirth experience and the factors predicting these responses. This study enrolled women who were pregnant at MGH; over 1,500 subjects have been enrolled, and we are in the phase of data analysis.

In this NIH-funded study, we validated maternal PTSD. To this end, we are using the same experimental methods that have been developed to establish the recognition of combat-related PTSD. We asked whether the memory of childbirth can trigger heightened physiological responses, similarly to the well-documented physiological reactivity seen in veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Our paper resulting from this work, titled Validation of Childbirth-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using Psychophysiological Assessment, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG), validates the existence of childbirth-related PTSD (CB-PTSD) using this paradigm of physiological evidence. We found strong evidence that, in remembering the birth experience, women with CB-PTSD present with similar symptoms to those who have experienced war trauma. Our results may call for expanding the formal DSM definition of postpartum conditions to include disorders of maternal traumatic stress, a perspective shared by Dr. Dekel in her Commentary article titled “A Call for a Formal Diagnosis for Childbirth-related PTSD”, published in Nature Mental Health.

We completed a study of over 800 postpartum women from around the globe, targeting posttraumatic stress symptoms following childbirth. We have found that as many as 12% of women are expected to experience PTSD symptoms at a clinical level after giving birth to a healthy baby at term. Women who have an unscheduled Cesarean are three times more likely to suffer from PTSD. 

Overall, our findings show that objective stressors in birth, such as mode of delivery and obstetrical complications, as well as the woman’s subjective traumatic experience of childbirth, including peritraumatic dissociation, predict the development of subsequent PTSD. Socioeconomic disadvantage also increases vulnerability, as does a prior history of sexual assault. Furthermore, having symptoms of PTSD can interfere with the mother’s ability to bond with her baby. We also found differences in cortisol response to trauma in women with and without comorbid PTSD and depression. Using written narratives about the childbirth experience, we found that the narratives of women with CB-PTSD are characterized by less affective and more cognitive descriptions, and that trauma memories of women with CB-PTSD are similar to those reported for other forms of PTSD. However, we also found that the childbirth experience may lead to post-traumatic growth.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic turned the lives of millions of people upside down all over the globe and affected our wellbeing. Our mothers wellness coronavirus project was an international study open to all women in the U.S. and other countries; over 4,000 women were enrolled. This NIH-funded study yielded extensive findings that have been published in six journal articles.

• We found that mothers in COVID-19-exposed communities endorsed more clinically acute stress response to childbirth than matched controls. Acute stress mediated the relationship between study group and postpartum outcomes. (PMID33412491)
• Nearly 50% of COVID-19-positive women endorsed acute traumatic stress symptoms at a clinical level in response to childbirth. This group was more than twice as likely to endorse acute stress and to have no visitors during maternity hospitalization than COVID negative women. The COVID-19-positive group reported higher levels of pain in delivery, lower newborn weights, and more infant admission to neonatal intensive care units (PMID34188137). 
• >60% of participants reported childbirth-related post-traumatic growth (PTG), with greater appreciation of life endorsed most frequently. In deliveries during the pandemic, childbirth-related acute stress was linked with elevated PTG; in turn, PTG was associated with lower posttraumatic stress symptoms and better mother-infant bonding. (PMID35772629)
• We used a machine learning-based natural language processing model to represent childbirth narratives as vectors that served as inputs for a neural network machine learning model to identify participants with childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD). (PMID36509356)
• We used numerical vector representations of childbirth narratives and compared ChatGPT vs. other machine learning (ML)-based large language models to assess for CB-PTSD, and we developed a model that performs very well (F1 score: 0.81). (PMID37886525)
• We demonstrated the feasibility of using the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) to assess for acute distress to classify women likely to endorse CB-PTSD. The data used in this study is also related to our International Survey. (PMID38070747)

Hadas Allouche-Kam, MD

Dr. Hadas Allouche-Kam, MD, is an award-winning Israeli specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. She completed her medical training and residency at the Hebrew University and the Hadassah Medical Center in Israel. During her experience in the delivery room, she witnessed how labor and delivery can cause physical and mental stress that may have a long-term impact. She consequently contributed to establishing the Healing Birth Clinic in Israel, treating women with previous birth trauma or other relevant histories to minimize re-traumatization in upcoming birth. In her work in the Dekel Laboratory, she investigates which obstetric factors have an influence on traumatic experiences related to birth, and how such trauma can be prevented. In addition, she investigates the impact of the October 7 massacre and the Hamas-Israel War on the mental and physical well-being of Israeli women during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.

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Kelimer Lebrón-Sagardia, PhD 

Dr. Kelimer Lebrón-Sagardia is a Latina neuroscientist focused on research related to women's mental health. From her early work at Ponce Health Science University, Puerto Rico, to her postdoctoral tenure at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, she has explored fear extinction in anxiety disorders. Her foundational research links gonadal hormonal fluctuations to an elevated risk of anxiety disorders in women. As a Research Fellow in Dr. Dekel's lab, supported by an NIH Re-Entry Supplement, Dr. Lebrón-Sagardia focuses on maternal mental health, studying racial discrimination's impact on Black and Hispanic postpartum women. Committed to addressing maternal health disparities, she strives to innovate healthcare strategies for her community.

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Kathleen Jagodnik, PhD

Kathleen is a researcher with a passion for exploration and innovation, focusing on maternal mental health. She earned her MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her work in the Dekel Lab focuses on using Machine Learning to identify risk factors of childbirth-associated PTSD (CB-PTSD) and developing computational models to estimate women’s risk for CB-PTSD. She authored several publications with the Dekel Lab (PMID 37162947, PMID 38122842, PMID 37981091 , PMID 38149098), including two studies involving the use of Machine Learning to analyze childbirth narratives to assess for CB-PTSD (PMID 36093354, PMID 37886525) and a book chapter on CB-PTSD. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, reading, composing electronic music, conducting completist music reviews, and pursuing various creative projects. 

Meike Blecker, MSc

Meike is a psychologist, psychotherapist in training, and researcher. She completed her B.Sc. at Freie Universiaet Berlin, Germany and her M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology at Universitaet Witten/Herdecke, Germany. Currently, Meike is pursuing her PhD at Freie Universitaet Berlin, where she was awarded the prestigious Elsa Neumann Doctoral Fellowship Scholarship from the State of Berlin. In her PhD project, she explores how childhood maltreatment acts as a vulnerability factor for postpartum mental health problems, with a focus on elucidating underlying biological mechanisms. For her research at the Dekel lab, she was awarded a stipend for doctoral researchers from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In her free time, Meike enjoys hiking, climbing and traveling.

Gabriella Hamlett, MA

Gabriella completed her MA degree at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2020 and her B.S. at UC Davis in 2017. She is a Clinical Psychology PhD student at Harvard University. She is interested in emotion regulatory processes underlying the onset and maintenance of PTSD, anxiety, and OCD, particularly in peripartum women. She is conducting her PhD project in the Lab where she is using network analysis to study the dynamic relationships among trauma symptoms, emotion regulation, and external factors across the perinatal period.

Onyekachi Agwu, BA

Onyeka earned her BA degree in Neurobiology from Harvard University. As a CRC in the Dekel Lab, she coordinates the BIRTH study on postpartum PTSD, and she leads that study’s physiological assessments. In her free time, Onyeka enjoys dancing and cooking. In the future, she hopes to attend medical school and specialize in Neurology.

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Sabrina Chan, BS

Sabrina earned her BS degree in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University and conducted her honors thesis in the Lab on the effect of intranasal oxytocin on postpartum depression and maternal infant bonding. Over the course of her time in the Lab, she has authored 12 publications (PMID 36093354, PMID 37886525, PMID 37162947, PMID 35598158, PMID 35772629, PMID 34188137, PMID 33412491, PMID 33276245, PMID 32705348), of which two are first author (PMID 32480118, PMID 35640702) and 1 is co-first author (PMID 35772629). Sabrina has presented her work in two poster presentations at the ISTSS conference (2019, 2020). She will matriculate to a Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) beginning in summer 2024 to combine her passion for clinical and translational research with the ability to treat mental and physical health holistically.

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Elli Dassopoulos, BA

Elli graduated from the Dual BA Program between Columbia University and Sciences Po, with degrees in Psychology, Comparative Literature, and Political Humanities. In the Dekel Lab, she coordinates the BIRTH Study on postpartum PTSD, in which she conducts assessments with mothers and children. Outside of her work at the Dekel Lab, Elli loves to learn languages, draw, and read psychoanalytic theory. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and eventually work as a psychoanalyst and professor.

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Ananya Iyengar, BS

Ananya graduated from Northeastern University, where she studied Biology, Psychology, and Behavioral Neuroscience. She joined the Lab in the spring of 2021, as part of Northeastern’s co-op program, and has primarily worked on assessing mother-infant interactions and postpartum PTSD as part of the Maternal Brain Study. She is first author on the Dekel Lab publication PMID 35598158. She plans to attend medical school in the future. Outside of school and research, Ananya enjoys traveling and plant-based cooking.

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Christina Pham, BA

Christina graduated from Harvard College, where she studied English Literature with a minor in Mind, Brain, and Behavior. In the Dekel Lab, she leads coordination for the Expressive Writing study, assists with the BIRTH study, and conducts child developmental assessments. She is a coauthor on the Dekel Lab’s systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to prevent and treat childbirth-related PTSD (CB-PTSD) (PMID 38122842). She hopes to attend medical school in the future. In her free time, Christina enjoys writing and traveling.

Sarah Adam

Sarah is a third-year undergraduate student at Harvard College studying Psychology on the Pre-Medical track with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy (GHHP). As a Research Intern in the Dekel Lab, she primarily assists with the BIRTH study, which focuses on postpartum PTSD. For her future aspirations, Sarah hopes to one day attend medical school and become a psychiatrist, particularly to help those in under-resourced communities get access to mental healthcare. Outside of academics and research, she loves to binge watch her favorite shows (One Piece and Love is Blind), listen to and make music, and try out new food places all around Boston.

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Diana Chen

Diana is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Harvard College studying Integrative Biology with a secondary in Music. As a research intern in the Dekel Lab, she contributes to the BIRTH study, involving postpartum PTSD. In her free time, she enjoys playing oboe for the Pops Orchestra, experimenting with new dessert recipes, and walking her dog, Dart! She is particularly passionate about women’s mental health and reproductive health, and plans on becoming an OB/GYN or psychiatrist.

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Eunice Chon

Eunice is a third-year undergraduate at Harvard College studying History of Science and Philosophy, with an additional interest in Global Health and Health Policy. Currently, she contributes to the BIRTH Study and Harvard Israel Study at the Dekel Lab. In the future, Eunice hopes to attend medical school to become an OB/GYN and graduate school to become a historian of medicine and medical ethicist. She is passionate about disability advocacy and law, including mental health justice and activism.

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Chloe Lee

Chloe is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Behavioral Neuroscience. As a Research Intern in the Dekel Lab, Chloe contributes to a number of studies, including the BIRTH Study, fMRI Study, and Expressive Writing Study. After graduation, Chloe hopes to attend medical school specializing in a surgical field with a focus on underserved populations and emphasis on global medicine. In her free time, Chloe enjoys bouldering, listening to music, and creating collages.

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Jisung Lee

Jisung is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Harvard College studying History of Art and Architecture with a secondary in Educational Studies. As a research intern in the Dekel Lab, she primarily contributes to the BIRTH study, involving postpartum PTSD. Outside of the lab, you can find Jisung working as a barista, spending time outdoors, and exploring new museums across Boston. In the future, she hopes to attend dental school and combine her interests in pediatrics and medical humanities.

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Mary Lee

Mary is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Health Science with a minor in Biology. As a Research Co-op Intern, she contributes to the BIRTH Study and the Expressive Writing Study. In the future, Mary hopes to attend medical school to become an OB/GYN or primary care doctor. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing guitar, reading, and painting.

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Evelyn Milavsky

Evelyn is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology with minors in French and Ethics at Northeastern University. Currently, she is assisting with the BIRTH Study and Expressive Writing Study as a Co-op Intern in the Lab. In the future, Evelyn hopes to attend medical school to become an OB/GYN with a focus on LGBTQ+ and minority populations. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring museums, and doing arts and crafts with friends.

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Salma Mokhtar

Salma is a sophomore at Northeastern University majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. As a Research Intern in the Dekel Lab, Salma is assisting with the recruitment and assessments of mothers in the Maternal Brain Study and is also involved in the BIRTH Study and Nigeria Obstetric Wellness (NOW) Project. She coauthored the Dekel Lab’s publication validating the PCL-5 questionnaire (PMID 37981091) She hopes to pursue a career in psychiatry in the future. In her free time, Salma enjoys watching films and documentaries, and loves drawing.

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Chinasa Ohajekwe

Chinasa is a third-year undergraduate student at Harvard College studying Neuroscience in the Mind, Brain, and Behavior Track with a secondary in Economics and a citation in Spanish. As a research intern in the Dekel Lab, she primarily assists the BIRTH study involving postpartum PTSD. She hopes to attend medical school to work in neurology or OB/GYN and to serve underprivileged areas in New York City. In her free time, she enjoys taking photos of friends, trying new foods, and watching movies.

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Mia Schwartzberg

Mia is a senior at Cornell University, majoring in Human Development. She is currently a Research Intern in the Dekel Lab, where she contributes to the BIRTH Study and the Israel Study. After graduation, Mia hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a focus on psychopathology. In her spare time, she enjoys Pilates, going on walks with her dog, Franklin, and following Philadelphia sports teams.

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Jiajia Zhang

Jiajia just completed her first year of undergraduate studies at Harvard University. She is studying Human Evolutionary Biology and languages (ASL and Spanish). She is currently a research intern with the Dekel Lab and is assisting in the BIRTH study and Expressive Writing Study. After college, Jiajia plans to attend medical school, with a special interest in becoming a surgeon or primary care doctor. She loves sports, especially endurance races like Spartan 10k and Olympic-distance Triathlons.

Kareena Anil Mulchandani, B.Pharm.

Kareena is a Masters student in Health Informatics at Northeastern University. After completing her undergraduate studies in Pharmacy and gaining research experience as a pharmaceutical data scientist and in pharmacovigilance, she developed a keen interest in quantitative medical sciences. She holds a Diploma in Data Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, focusing on computational statistics, mathematics, programming, and machine learning. Kareena aims to apply her skills in data visualization, analytics, and machine learning to maternal mental health research at the Dekel Laboratory. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities like bird watching, running, cycling, and trekking.

Anudeep Ragata, BS

Anudeep is a Masters student at Northeastern University, majoring in Artificial Intelligence. He holds a BS degree in Data Science with a minor in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research. Anudeep is excited to be applying his statistical and computational skills to contribute to advancing maternal mental health research as a member of Dekel Lab. After graduation, Anudeep hopes to leverage AI in healthcare research. In his spare time, he plays guitar and follows Manchester United.

• Alon Bartal, PhD, Bar-Ilan University
• Sara Bates, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• George Bonanno, PhD, Columbia University
• Tsachi Ein Dor, PhD, Reichman University, Israel
• Ruth Feldman, PhD, Reichman University, Israel
• Lauren Hanley, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• Anjali Kaimal, MD, University of South Florida
• Elizabeth Lawson, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• Linda Mayes, MD, Yale University
• Scott Orr, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• Roger Pitman, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• Jeffery Rosen, PhD, University of Delaware
• Lisa Shin, PhD, Tufts University
• Zahava Solomon, PhD, Tel Aviv University, Israel
• Ahmed Tawakol, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School
• Peter Tsvetkov, PhD, Broad Institute

• The Dekel research intern Eunice Chon was featured in MGH’s Meet the Summer Research Students article. August 27, 2024
• The NICHD featured Dr. Dekel in their Research Profiles series, highlighting her work to advance maternal mental health care. August 15, 2024
• Dr. Dekel was interviewed for the MGH Advances in Motion article featuring her lab's work, Establishing Postpartum PTSD After Traumatic Childbirth. August 6, 2024
• The Dekel Lab's work is featured in the article on the HealthyDebate site, Childbirth PTSD Is All Too Common. AI May Help Remove Stigma and Improve Care. May 29, 2024
• Dr. Dekel was interviewed in this article published in The Hill: Widespread Disrespect, Abuse in Maternity Care Leave Mothers with Lasting Trauma. May 28, 2024
• This Pharmacy Times article presenting the Dekel Lab's work features an interview with Dr. Dekel: Study Finds AI Models May Help Accurately Assess PTSD in Women After a Traumatic Childbirth. May 14, 2024
• Dr. Dekel was interviewed in this Healio article, Q&A: AI Uses Patient Narratives to Identify Postpartum PTSD. May 6, 2024
• This WebMD article, Postpartum PTSD: Right Diagnosis Can Help Mothers and Babies, features an interview with Dr. Dekel. May 6, 2024
• Dr. Dekel provided an expert perspective as a contributor to the Healio article Perinatal PTSD Significantly Increased from 2008 to 2020, Varying Based on Race, Ethnicity. April 25, 2024
• The IndiaAI website presented the Dekel Lab's findings in their article A Study Says an AI Model Has Potential to Detect Risk of Childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. April 21, 2024
• The MedicalResearch.com site interviewed Dr. Dekel in the article featuring our lab's work, Mass General Study Evaluates AI Narrative[s] to Detect Childbirth-Related PTSD. April 19, 2024
• MGH Psychiatry News highlighted the Dekel Lab's work in their article Using AI and Natural Language Processing To Identify Postpartum Women with PTSD Related to Childbirth. April 15, 2024
• The British site Head Topics showcased the Dekel Lab's work in their article AI Model Shows Promise in Screening for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in New Mothers. April 13, 2024
• The Israeli platform Datilin shared our lab’s maternal mental health research in the Hebrew article An Artificial Intelligence Model Can Accurately Detect Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Birth. April 13, 2024
• News Medical Life Sciences interviewed Dr. Dekel in their article presenting our work, AI Model Can Accurately Screen for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after Childbirth. April 12, 2024
• The IndustrialNews site described the Dekel Lab's innovative findings in their article AI Program Can Help Identify Signs of Childbirth-related PTSD. April 12, 2024
• The National Institutes of Health featured the Dekel Lab's work on their site: AI Model Has Potential to Detect Risk of Childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: NIH-Funded Study Suggests Model Could Identify Large Percentage of Those at Risk. April 11, 2024
• Massachusetts General Hospital interviewed Dr. Dekel in their article presenting her lab's work, Mass General Study Identifies an AI Model That Can Accurately Assess PTSD in Postpartum Women. April 11, 2024
• ScienceDaily shared the Dekel Lab's work in the article AI Model Can Accurately Assess PTSD in Postpartum Women. April 11, 2024
• The Dekel Lab's maternal mental health research was featured in the Mirage News article AI Model Accurately Assesses Postpartum PTSD: Mass General Study. April 11, 2024
• Our lab's work is highlighted in the Eurekalert article AI Model Has Potential to Detect Risk of Childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. April 11, 2024
• Dr. Dekel was featured in the panel discussion Addressing Trauma through Holistic Support, hosted by the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health in its 2024 Maternal Mental Health Forum. March 2024
• Dr. Dekel was featured as a guest on The Joint Committee on the Status of Women (JCSW) Show podcast to discuss Breaking the Silence: Confronting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence. March 2024
• The Dekel Lab's work was featured in the Healio platform's article Therapy after Traumatic Childbirth May Protect against PTSD Symptoms. March 13, 2024
• The Dekel Lab’s work is highlighted on the Medical Xpress website: Brief Psychological Interventions Can Reduce Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms after Childbirth. February 22, 2024
• The Dekel Lab's systematic review and meta-analysis publication is spotlighted in the Massachusetts General Hospital press release Brief Psychological Interventions Can Reduce Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms After Childbirth. February 21, 2024
• The Dekel Lab's work is featured in the article Maternal Health Awareness Day: How Mass General Researchers Are Working to Help. January 23, 2024
• The Dekel Lab's work was highlighted in an NIH NICHD Science Update: Questionnaire Could Identify Emotional Responses Leading to PTSD after Childbirth, NIH-Funded Study Suggests, January 8, 2024
• The research of the Dekel Lab is highlighted in the MGH Psychiatry News article Using a Questionnaire to Effectively Screen for Childbirth-Related PTSD. January 8, 2024
• The Dekel Lab's work is featured in the Massachusetts General Hospital Research Spotlight article: Establishing the Validity of a Diagnostic Questionnaire for Childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. January 3, 2024
• This Massachusetts General Hospital Research Spotlight article features the Dekel Lab's work: Screening for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Childbirth Using the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory. January 3, 2024

• The Dekel Lab's research was highlighted in an NIH NICHD Science Update: Questionnaire May Detect Childbirth-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, NIH-Funded Study Suggests, November 21, 2023 
• MGH Psychiatry News featured the Dekel Lab's research: Focusing on the Psychological Consequences of Traumatic Childbirth. July 17, 2023
• Mind Blossom, a nonprofit organization promoting mental health, featured Dr. Dekel in a livestream interview discussing maternal mental health, including the Dekel Lab's research. Hosted on the Mind Blossom livestream. June 7, 2023
• The Dekel Lab's work is featured in the MGH News article Anna’s Story: Healing After a Traumatic Birth, describing the healing process of a woman who experienced traumatic childbirth and became a participant in the Dekel Lab's research. May 22, 2023
• Dr. Dekel Interviewed about maternal PTSD following childbirth. Featured on News Nation television program, May 15, 2023
• Our study shows that computational methods that analyze birth narratives can predict risk for PTSD following childbirth, featured on NIH Science Update, January 2023

• Our work documents that women giving birth during COVID-19 experience psychological growth following childbirth Highlighted on Mass General’s Advances in Motion, November 2022

• Our research finds that traumatic childbirth during the COVID-19 Pandemic triggered positive psychological changes for some Highlighted on Mass General’s Advances in Motion, November 2022

• Our research reveals Black and Latinx women at heightened risk for developing traumatic stress following childbirth and depression Highlighted on Mass General’s Advances in Motion, October 2022
  Our research reveals Black and Latinx women more likely to experience negative childbirth outcomes during the COVID-10 Pandemic Highlighted on Mass General’s Advances in Motion, October 2022
• Dr. Dekel interviewed about the stressful experience of giving birth during COVID-19. Listen to this podcast! https://www.pandemic-parent.org/podcast/generation-covid-pt-2-pregnant-during-the-pandemic Pandemic Parents, July 12, 2022
• Our research on maternal psychological growth during COVID-19 covered in NewsMedical https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220629/Maternal-psychological-growth-and-improved-mother-infant-bonding-triggered-by-childbirth-during-COVID-19-pandemic.aspx News Medical, June 29, 2022
• Our recent studies show that many women suffer from traumatic childbirth during COVID-19 highlighted on Mass General's Psychiatry News, January 2022

• Our research reveals negative childbirth outcomes in women positive for COVID-19 highlighted on Mass General's Advances in Motion, November 2021
• Dr. Dekel interviewed in an article on psychological growth when giving birth during the pandemic on Washington Post, July 2021
• Highlights of Dr. Dekel’s COVID-19 study on Mass General Advances in Motion, June 2021
• Dr. Dekel talks about postpartum PTSD and COVID on the TODAY show on NBC, May 2021
• NIH highlights our recent study on traumatic childbirth during the pandemic, January 2021
• Our research reveals the negative impact of COVID-19 on new mothers and their newborns, on Israel News, January 2021

• Women with COVID-19 more likely to suffer acute stress during childbirth (coverage of recent COVID-19 maternal wellness project’s finding) on Medical News, December 2020
• Postpartum Depression Common in Women with Childbirth-Related PTSD on MGH Psychiatry News, November 2020
• Postpartum mental health in the face of the pandemic on Boston Globe, May 2020 
• Dr. Dekel explains the notion of psychological growth following trauma on The American Lawyer, May 2020
• The ‘fourth trimester’ and plight of new mothers during a pandemic on Boston Globe Magazine, May 2020
• Dr. Dekel talks about her research on COVID-19 and maternal mental health on Mass General Research Institute Blog, April 2020
  

• Dr. Dekel talks about her research on Psychology Today, December 2019
• "It's a Battle Scar": The Emotional Toll of C-Sections No-one Talks About on Harper's Bazaar, October 2019
• What Is Postpartum PTSD? Interview with Dr. Dekel on Goop
• Depression Screening Needed in Peripartum Period to Detect Delayed Onset and Fluctuating Symptoms on Mass General Advances in Motion, July 2019
• Why #Metoo Matters in the Delivery Room on The Establishment, March 2019
• Featured interview with Dr. Dekel on the Mass General Research Institute Blog, February 2019
• Dr. Dekel Interviewed As Featured Member of Postpartum Support International, Postpartum Support International

Q&A with Dr. Sharon Dekel: Understanding Postpartum PTSD, Advances in Motion
Nearly Dying In Childbirth: Why Preventable Complications Are Growing In U.S., NPR
Mass General Awards and Honors, Mass General News

Severe Complications for Women During Childbirth are Skyrocketing - And Could Often be Prevented, ProPublica
105 Questions That Could Predict PTSD Risk, Science Magazine
PTSD Affects 1 in 11 New Moms… So Why Don’t We Hear More About It? NBC Today

The Mothers Who Can’t Escape the Trauma of Childbirth, The Atlantic

AI and Narrative Embeddings Detect PTSD following Childbirth via Birth Stories. Bartal A, Jagodnik KM, Chan SJ, Dekel S. Scientific Reports. 2024. 14(1): 8336. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54242-2

A Call for a Formal Diagnosis for Childbirth-related PTSD. Dekel S. Nature Mental Health. 2024. 2:259-260. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-024-00213-5

Screening for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Childbirth Using the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory. Jagodnik KM, Ein-Dor T, Chan SJ, Titelman Ashkenazy A, Bartal A, Dekel S. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2024. 1 March 2024, 348:17-25. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.010

Anxiety Disorders and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Baker AW, Dekel S, Jagodnik KM, Pace-Schott EF, Post LM, Orr SP. Chapter 31 in Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry, Eds. Stern TA, Wilens TE, and Fava M. 2024.

Preventing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Childbirth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Dekel S, Papadakis J, Quagliarini B, Pham CT, Pacheco-Barrios K, Hughes F, Jagodnik KM, Nandru R. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG). 2024. Volume 230, Issue 6, June, Pages 610-641.e14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2023.12.013

A Diagnostic Questionnaire for Childbirth Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Validation Study. Arora IH, Woscoboinik GG, Mokhtar S, Quagliarini B, Bartal A, Jagodnik KM, Barry RL, Edlow AG, Orr SP, Dekel S. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (AJOG). 2023. In Press; Available online 21 November 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2023.11.1229

The Role of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Depression across the Female Reproductive Lifecycle: Current Knowledge and Future Directions. Hantsoo L, Jagodnik KM, Novick AM, Baweja R, Lanza di Scalea T, Ozerdem A, McGlade EC, Simeonova DI, Dekel S, Kornfield SL, Nazareth M, Weiss SJ. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2023. Volume 14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1295261

Increased traumatic childbirth and postpartum depression and lack of exclusive breastfeeding in Black and Latinx individuals. Iyengar AS, Ein-Dor T, Zhang EX, Chan SJ, Kaimal AJ, Dekel S. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 May 22. PMID: 35598158.

Peripartum effects of synthetic oxytocin: The good, the bad, and the unknown. Rashidi M, Maier E, Dekel S, Sütterlin M, Wolf RC, Ditzen B, Grinevich V, Herpertz SC. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 141. 2022,104859. PMID:36087759. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104859

Identifying Women with Post-Delivery Posttraumatic Stress Disorder using Natural Language Processing of Personal Childbirth Narratives. Bartal A, Jagodnik KM, Chan MSJ, Babu MMS, Dekel S. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2022 Dec 9; 100834. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100834. PubMed PMID: 36509356; NIHMSID:NIHMS1856600.

Traumatic childbirth during COVID-19 triggers maternal psychological growth and in turn better mother-infant bonding. Babu MS, Chan SJ, Ein-Dor T, Dekel S. J Affect Disord. 2022 Jun 27; 313:163-166. PMID: 35772629. PMCID: PMC7889625

Validation of Childbirth-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Using Psychophysiological Assessment. Chan SJ, Thiel F, Kaimal AJ, Pitman RK, Orr SP, Dekel S. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 May 28. PMID: 35640702.

Increased traumatic childbirth and postpartum depression and lack of exclusive breastfeeding in Black and Latinx individuals. Iyengar AS, Ein-Dor T, Zhang EX, Chan SJ, Kaimal AJ, Dekel S. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 May 22. PMID: 35598158.

COVID‑19 positivity associated with traumatic stress response to childbirth and no visitors and infant separation in the hospital. Mayopoulos GA, Ein-Dor T, Li KG, Chan SJ, Dekel S. Scientific Reports. 2021, 11:1353; doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92985-4

Association of sexual assault history with traumatic childbirth and subsequent PTSD. Berman Z, Thiel F, Kaimal AJ, Dekel S. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2021. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-021-01129-0.

COVID-19 is associated with traumatic childbirth and subsequent mother-infant bonding problems. Mayopoulos GA, Ein-Dor T, Dishy GA, Nandru R, Chan SJ, Hanley LE, Kaimal AJ, Dekel S. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2021; DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.101

Traumatic memories of childbirth relate to maternal postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder. Thiel F, Berman Z, Dishy GA, Chan SJ, Seth H, Tokala M, Pitman RK, Dekel S. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2021;77: 102342. DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102342.

Maternal psychological growth following childbirth. Berman Z, Thiel F, Dishy GA, Chan SJ, Dekel S. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-020-01053-9.

Risk factors for developing posttraumatic stress disorder following childbirth. Chan SJ, Ein-Dor T, Mayopoulos P, Mesa M, Sunda R, McCarthy B, Kaimal A, Dekel S. Psychiatry Research. May 2020;290: 113090. 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113090

Beyond postpartum depression: Posttraumatic stress-depressive response following childbirth. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Dishy G, Mayopoulos P. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2020;23: 557-564. DOI:10.1007/s00737-019-01006-x. PMID: 31650283

Peritraumatic dissociation in childbirth-evoked posttraumatic stress and postpartum mental health. Thiel F, Dekel S. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2019; 23: 189-197. PMID: 31115689. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-00978-0

Delivery mode is associated with maternal mental health following childbirth. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Berman Z, Barsoumian I, Agarwal S, Pitman RK. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2019; 22: 817–824. PMID: 31041603. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-019-00968-2

Dynamic course of peripartum depression across pregnancy and childbirth. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Ruohomäki, A, Lampi J, Voutilainen S, Tuomainen TP, Heinonen S, Kumpulainen K, Pekkanen J, Keski-Nisula L, Pasanen M, Lehto SM. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2019; 113:72-78. PMID: 30921631.

Is childbirth-induced PTSD associated with low maternal attachment? Dekel S, Thiel F, Dishy G, Ashenfarb A. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 2019; 22:119-122. PMID: 29786116. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0853-y

Examining symptom clusters of childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Thiel F, Ein-Dor T, Dishy G, King A, Dekel S. The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders. 2018; 20(5). PMID: 30277674.

Differences in cortisol response to trauma activation in individuals with and without comorbid PTSD and depression. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Rosen JB, Bonanno GA. Frontiers in Psychology. 2017; 8:797. PMID: 28572779. 

Childbirth induced posttraumatic stress syndrome: A systematic review of prevalence and risk factors. Dekel S, Stuebe C, Dishy G. Frontiers in Psychology. 2017; 8:560. PMID: 28443054. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0853-y

Peripartum depression, traditional culture, and Israeli society. Dekel S, Stanger V, Georgakopoulos ER, Stuebe CM, Dishy GA. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2016; 72(8):784-94. PMID: 27487164.

PTSD symptoms lead to modification in the memory of the trauma: a prospective study of former prisoners of war. Dekel S, Solomon Z, Ein-Dor T. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2016; 77(3):e290-6. PMID: 26796992.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms: joined or independent sequelae of trauma? Dekel S, Solomon Z, Horesh D, Ein-Dor T. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2014; 54:64-9. PMID: 24703578.

Cortisol and PTSD symptoms among male and female high-exposure 9/11 survivors. Dekel S, Ein-Dor T, Gordon KM, Rosen JB, Bonanno GA. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2013; 26(5):621-5. PMID: 24030869.

Changes in trauma memory and patterns of posttraumatic stress. Dekel S, Bonanno G. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy. 2013; 5(1):26-34.

Secondary salutogenic effects in veterans whose parents were Holocaust survivors? Dekel S, Solomon Z, Rozenstreich E. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2013; 47(2):266-71. PMID: 23168139.

Self-enhancement among high-exposure survivors of the September 11th terrorist attack: resilience or social maladjustment? Bonanno GA, Rennicke C, Dekel S. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2005; 88(6):984-98. PMID:15982117.