Australian Childbirth-related Trauma Screening (ACTS) Study
Commencing in July 2026, the Australian Childbirth-related Trauma Screening (ACTS) study aims to address the national need for standardised screening for birth trauma in maternity care.
Over the next two years, all women that birth at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) are invited to participate in the study by answering five questions about their recent birth, within seven days of delivery.
The research aims to develop birth trauma screening to best support new mothers.
Thirty per cent of people may find childbirth traumatic, and four to six per cent may develop childbirth-related PTSD, which is why screening is important.
How to take part
All women who have given birth at KEMH are eligible to participate. The study is confidential and voluntary.
Mothers can join the study here.
Women who agree to participate may be asked to complete two phases. The first will take place within seven days birth, and the second part will be in three to six months of birth.
- Phase 1: Will take two to five minutes to complete, where women will be asked some questions about themselves and the birth of their most recent baby. It will cover the birth until the baby is one week old.
- Phase 2: Will involve an online questionnaire that will be sent to the mother when their baby is around three to six months old which will take around 10 minutes to complete. The mother may also be invited to participate in a phone interview to further assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Download the information flyer (PDF)
Research partners
The WA research project is led by Murdoch University at KEMH, with funding provided by the Women and Infants Research Foundation and support from The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Birth Trauma Australia and the Statewide Perinatal and Infant Mental Health program.
Professor Susan Ayers, Professor of Maternal and Child Health, University of London, Original developer of the City BiTS, Collaborator on the ACTS Study.