PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE

Abstract

Introduction: Obstetric violence is an extremely relevant issue and involves a series of harmful practices directed at women throughout all stages of pregnancy. These practices include sexual, physical, psychological and verbal abuse, as well as omissions, discrimination and the performance of unnecessary interventional procedures. Women often have their desires ignored and expectations frustrated, experiencing situations of discomfort, fear, pain and insecurity, which generate negative physical and emotional consequences. Objective: To analyze the psychological impacts of violence. Methodology: This is an integrative literature review, which was carried out from the Virtual Health Library, using the databases: BDENF, LILACS and SCIELO, using the following descriptors: Childbirth, Psychological trauma; Obstetric violence, associated with the use of the Boolean operator AND. It was guided by the guiding question: What are the long-term psychological effects of obstetric violence? The inclusion criteria were complete studies, in Portuguese, English and Spanish and published in the last five years. Studies that did not meet the specific objectives of the study, as well as those that did not fit within the established period, were excluded. Results and discussions: Pregnancy and the postpartum period represent phases of great emotional sensitivity, in which women are more likely to develop psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression. This vulnerability can be aggravated by traumatic experiences during childbirth, including unnecessary invasive procedures and lack of support from health professionals. In addition, it is essential to invest in the ongoing training of health teams, especially training nurses to identify signs of violence, guide women and ensure ethical and safe care, minimizing harm to patients' physical and mental health. Conclusion: Therefore, it is concluded that obstetric violence is still a recurrent practice in childbirth care in different parts of the world. In view of this, it is essential to recognize childbirth as a physiological and human event, guarantee access to information, strengthen women's sexual and reproductive rights and promote improvements in the quality of health services. These actions constitute essential strategies for preventing and confronting obstetric violence.