Research overview
Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is increasingly being recognised as a serious issue, with more women presenting with childbirth trauma in both hospital and community settings. Despite preliminary evidence showing that effective antenatal and postpartum treatments exist, perinatal services still lack a consistent and reliable method for assessing childbirth trauma. This gap in practice limits the ability of health services to respond effectively and to improve outcomes for women and their families.
To address this need, the Women and Newborn Health Service (WNHS), King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH), is undertaking stage four of a research program designed to improve childbirth outcomes. Over the next three years, the project will establish the predictive validity of the City Birth Trauma Scale, Short Form (City BiTS-SF) for classifying childbirth-related PTSD in an Australian sample. The City BiTS-SF is a brief, five-item screening tool derived from the City Birth Trauma Scale – the well-established measure for childbirth trauma – and its brevity makes it suitable for integration into routine clinical practice.
This will be the first predictive validity study of the City BiTS-SF and represents a unique opportunity to inform decision-making in maternity care. Backed by an internationally embedded research team, the findings have the potential to shape perinatal service delivery, improve maternal and infant mental health outcomes, and guide the allocation of critical resources.
Project researchers
Dr Kelli MacMillan
Partners
King Edward Memorial Hospital
Funders
Women and Infants Research Foundation
Project timeline
2025 – 2026
