Predictive Value of Early Peritraumatic Distress Screening for Childbirth-PTSD Following Unplanned Cesarean Delivery (PREDICT)

May 15, 2026 updated by: Katherine Seligman, University of British Columbia

The goal of this observational study is to learn whether early postpartum screening tools can predict the development of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress symptoms in individuals who undergo unplanned cesarean delivery.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Do scores on the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) collected 24-48 hours after delivery predict childbirth-related PTSD symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum?
  • Do scores on the City Birth Trauma Scale - Short Form (CityBiTS-SF) collected 24-48 hours after delivery predict childbirth-related PTSD symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum?

Participants will:

  • Complete questionnaires within 24-48 hours after delivery, including the PDI, CityBiTS-SF, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).
  • Complete follow-up questionnaires at 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum, including measures of PTSD symptoms (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, PCL-5) and depressive symptoms.

Researchers will evaluate whether early screening scores are associated with later symptoms of childbirth-related PTSD and postpartum depression, and will assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing routine inpatient screening for psychological birth trauma.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) is increasingly recognized as a contributor to maternal morbidity and is more common among individuals who undergo unplanned cesarean delivery. Early identification of individuals at risk for CB-PTSD could allow timely referral to mental health support; however, screening for psychological birth trauma is not routinely performed in the immediate postpartum period.

This prospective observational cohort study will evaluate whether early postpartum screening tools can predict later PTSD symptoms following unplanned cesarean delivery. Participants will complete the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI), the City Birth Trauma Scale - Short Form (CityBiTS-SF), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) within 24-48 hours postpartum. Follow-up surveys at 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum will assess PTSD symptoms using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and depressive symptoms using the EPDS.

The primary objective is to determine whether early postpartum screening scores on the PDI and CityBiTS-SF predict childbirth-related PTSD symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum. Secondary analyses will evaluate diagnostic performance of these tools, associations with postpartum depressive symptoms, and the feasibility of implementing routine postpartum screening for psychological birth trauma.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

420

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • British Columbia
      • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 3N1
        • Recruiting
        • BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of postpartum individuals who undergo an unplanned cesarean delivery at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre, a tertiary maternity care center in Vancouver, Canada.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥19 years
  • Underwent unplanned cesarean delivery
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Able to read and understand English questionnaires

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Fetal or neonatal demise
  • Unable to complete study questionnaires or provide informed consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Unplanned Cesarean Delivery Cohort
Postpartum individuals aged 19 years or older who undergo an unplanned cesarean delivery at BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre and consent to participate in the study.
Other: Postpartum Psychological Screening
Participants complete validated screening questionnaires 24-48 hours postpartum, including the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory, City Birth Trauma Scale - Short Form, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Follow-up surveys at 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum include the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, EPDS, and City Birth Trauma Scale - Long Form

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sensitivity of the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI ≥15) for Predicting Childbirth-Related PTSD Symptoms at 6 Weeks Postpartum
Time Frame: 6 weeks postpartum
Sensitivity of a Peritraumatic Distress Inventory score ≥15 obtained 24-48 hours postpartum for predicting childbirth-related post-traumatic stress symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum, defined as a PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) score ≥33.
6 weeks postpartum
Sensitivity of the City Birth Trauma Scale - Short Form (CityBiTS-SF ≥4) for Predicting Childbirth-Related PTSD Symptoms at 6 Weeks Postpartum
Time Frame: 6 weeks postpartum
Sensitivity of a City Birth Trauma Scale - Short Form score ≥4 obtained 24-48 hours postpartum for predicting childbirth-related post-traumatic stress symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum, defined as a PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) score ≥33.
6 weeks postpartum

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Diagnostic Accuracy of Early Postpartum Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) Screening for Childbirth-Related PTSD Symptoms
Time Frame: 6 weeks & 3 Months Postpartum
Specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for a Peritraumatic Distress Inventory score ≥15 obtained 24-48 hours postpartum for predicting childbirth-related PTSD symptoms defined as PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) score ≥33.
6 weeks & 3 Months Postpartum
Diagnostic Accuracy of Early Postpartum City Birth Trauma Scale - Short Form (CityBiTS-SF) Screening for Childbirth-Related PTSD Symptoms
Time Frame: 6 weeks & 3 Months Postpartum
Specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for a City Birth Trauma Scale - Short Form score ≥4 obtained 24-48 hours postpartum for predicting childbirth-related PTSD symptoms defined as PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) score ≥33.
6 weeks & 3 Months Postpartum
Association Between Early Peritraumatic Distress Inventory Scores and Postpartum Depression Symptoms
Time Frame: 6 weeks & 3 Months Postpartum
Correlation and predictive accuracy of Peritraumatic Distress Inventory scores obtained 24-48 hours postpartum for identifying clinically significant postpartum depressive symptoms, defined as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score ≥13.
6 weeks & 3 Months Postpartum
Feasibility of Inpatient Postpartum Psychological Screening
Time Frame: 24-48 hours postpartum
Feasibility will be evaluated by screening completion rates, administration time, and the proportion of eligible participants who complete psychological screening questionnaires within 24-48 hours postpartum.
24-48 hours postpartum
Participant Acceptability of Postpartum Psychological Screening
Time Frame: 24-48 hours postpartum
Acceptability will be assessed using structured participant feedback surveys evaluating comfort with screening, perceived relevance, and perceived burden of completing screening questionnaires.
24-48 hours postpartum
Themes Associated with Traumatic Birth Experiences
Time Frame: 24-48 hours postpartum
Qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended participant responses describing distressing or traumatic aspects of childbirth. Themes will be identified using structured coding methods and summarized using frequency counts.
24-48 hours postpartum

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of British Columbia

Collaborators

Women's Health Research Institute of British Columbia

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 8, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 24, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 15, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • H25-03700

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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