The early post-traumatic growth of critically ill parturients: a qualitative study

The increasing incidence of critical illness among parturients poses a serious threat to maternal and neonatal health. Although advances in medical management have improved survival rates, research on the psychological experiences of critically ill parturients remains limited. This study aimed to explore the early post‑traumatic growth experiences of critically ill parturients in order to inform the development of targeted clinical intervention strategies. This study employed a phenomenological design. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 15 critically ill parturients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a regional centre for the treatment of critically ill parturients in Guangdong Province, China, between November 2025 and April 2026. Semi‑structured, face‑to‑face in‑depth interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed using Colaizzi’s method with the assistance of NVivo 11 software. Four major themes were identified: (1) multiple distresses in the early post‑trauma phase; (2) emergence of growth dimensions; (3) factors facilitating post‑traumatic growth (PTG); (4) patterns of PTG, which were further categorised into three distinct trajectories—blocked, fluctuating, and stable. The blocked type was characterised by low and persistently stagnant growth levels; the fluctuating type involved oscillation between distress and growth with moderate growth levels; and the stable type demonstrated the highest and most consistent growth across all PTG dimensions. In the early stage after trauma, critically ill parturients experience not only negative emotions but also positive psychological changes indicative of PTG. The three distinct PTG patterns identified in this study further demonstrate that early PTG in this population is not a uniform phenomenon but a heterogeneous process shaped by individual and contextual factors. Moreover, the emergence of a population-specific growth dimension, maternal identity and internalisation of responsibility, suggests that the original PTG framework may require extension when applied to this group. Future longitudinal and multicentre studies are urgently needed to validate the identified PTG patterns and to track the long-term trajectory of growth in this vulnerable population.