Perceived Traumatic Birth Tool (PTBT)

This 4-question, unnamed tool screens for perceived traumatic birth.


The initial assessment that mothers encounter is an untitled four-question TBE screening assessment that has been independently validated (Mogdadm, Shamsi, & Moro, 2015), and replicated (Abdollahpour, Bolbolhaghigi, & Khosvari, 2016). The screening tool is based on DSM-V criteria for PTSD diagnosis (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). It addresses feelings of threat as well as emotional responses; accordingly, two questions assess threat and two assess emotional response.

My initial population of mothers struggled to understand the questions as they were originally written. I altered the questions to a lower reading level and increased the level of conversational style. Mothers were immediately responsive to the modified questionnaire and understood it more readily. I also changed the wording of "labor" to "birth" as many mothers who experience traumatic birth do so via C-section.

The original assessment as well as the modified version can be found in the embedded Google Doc  below.


Learn more about the perceived traumatic birth tool (PTBT):

References

Abdollahpour, S., Khosravi, A., & Bolbolhaghighi, N. (2016). The effect of the magical hour on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in traumatic childbirth: A clinical trial. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 34(4), 403-412. doi:10.1080/02646838.2016.1185773

American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.

Moghadam, M. F., Shamsi, A., & Moro, F. H. (2015). The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among women with normal vaginal delivery in Zahedan city. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 1, 15-19. doi:10.12740/APP/37943

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