Birth Experience, Care Satisfaction and Symptoms of Depression
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Birth Experience, Maternity Care Satisfaction and Symptoms of Depression: A Mixed Methods Approach
IRAS ID
296070
Contact name
Louise Warwick-Booth
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Beckett University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Why is the research needed?
• Women with different modalities of birth seem to have a different birth experience and there is very little research into whether this impacts on Satisfaction with maternity care and symptoms of depression.
• Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury (OASI) cannot always be prevented or eliminated (Keriakos & Gopinath, 2015; Bidwell et al., 2018; RCOG, n.d & RCOG 2015), therefore it is vital that women feel heard when it comes to professionals planning and delivering their care.
•Previous research was predominantly qualitative. This study will provide mixed methods insights and comparisons will be made between the various modalities of birth experience.
•To investigate the potential relationship between themes identified in the previous literature surrounding maternity care, experiences and postnatal health, namely relating to maternity care satisfaction and postnatal depression.
• To provide insights to guide future practice lessons, with the aim of reducing mental health morbidities in women, following different grades of trauma and the varying categories of birth experience.1. Investigate a new question, of whether care satisfaction scores predict symptoms of depression in women following various birth experience categories.
2. Does this relationship vary between the birth experience categories?
3. If so, what extent does care satisfaction moderate the influence of birth experiences on symptoms of depression? This research question was derived from literature that suggests only third- and fourth- degree tears are associated with ongoing physical and mental health issues and that first- and second- degree tears do not tend to have any long term implications (RCOG, 2020; RCOG, 2014).
4. How do women make meaning out of their experience of care and support received following the varying types of childbirth?
Participants will be recruited from patient medical records by professionals involved in their care at two NHS maternity units.
Women will complete an online questionnaire relating to care satisfaction during childbirth and symptoms of depression. Participants will be asked if they would like to register their interest for a follow-up interview, with questions relating to the care and support received and/or a follow-up repeat of the initial survey, at three months postpartum.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/WM/0086
Date of REC Opinion
21 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion