Labour Agentry and Subsequent Adverse Mental Health Outcomes: A Follow-Up Study of the ARRIVE Trial

( BJOG. 2024;131(7):970–976. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.17703) Over 20% of women experience maternal mental health disorders like postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD before and after childbirth. These factors may coexist and play a causative role in pregnancy health concerns and maternal death in both the short and long term. In a report from 2022, it was discovered that mental health disorders were the primary reason for deaths related to pregnancy, making up 22.7% of instances. Furthermore, traumatic birthing experiences and a sense of lack of control during delivery are identified as risk factors for PTSD. The impact of control during labor on future mental health outcomes is not well understood. The Labor Agentry Scale (LAS), a validated scoring tool, can gauge labor agentry which is defined as the perceived control level during childbirth. A decrease in LAS scores signifies a lower level of perceived control. While labor advocacy has been associated with increased patient satisfaction, its impact on postpartum mental well-being is not yet understood.