INTERSECT
INTERSECT
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CHILDBIRTH-RELATED TRAUMA
Being pregnant and having a baby is a time of huge physical, psychological and social changes for women. It is therefore a period of rapid transition and adaptation. Although the birth of a baby is viewed positively in most cultures, research suggests between 20 and 40% of women find childbirth traumatic and 4% of women may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result. Birth trauma and PTSD have a substantial impact on women and their families. Postpartum PTSD is associationed with depression and fear of subsequent births, as well as reduced breastfeeding, poorer child development and strain on the couple's relationship.
The Intersect Study
The INTERSECT study examines childbirth-related PTSD in an international context by collaborating with researchers across the world, with an emphasis on working with under-represented countries in South-America, Asia and Africa. The study is publicly registered here and the protocol available here.
Principal investigators in over 40 countries are conducting the INTERSECT survey with women 6 to 12 weeks after birth. The INTERSECT project provides cross-cultural information on the prevalence of postpartum PTSD, as well as cross-cultural variation in the causes and presentation of childbirth-related PTSD worldwide. The INTERSECT survey includes self-reported information on birth experiences, whether birth was traumatic, childbirth-related PTSD, depression, trauma history, obstetric and demographic information.
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The first INTERSECT dataset was released in 2024 and includes data from 31 countries with 11,302 women. The dataset is available on application via the UK Data Service. The second INTERSECT dataset will be released in 2026 and will include data from over 40 countries.
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"This project…has the potential to be transformative both in improving the quality of maternity care worldwide and in reducing the incidence of a very serious, but under-researched and under-treated, mental health condition” Birth Trauma Association.
BMA Foundation Pushpa Chopra Grant 2023
The INTERSECT study is honored to have been awarded the Pushpa Chopra Grant by the BMA Foundation which will enable us to add valuable doctoral research to the study which will investigate the impact of maternity care systems on birth trauma.
