Live Research

Looking for participants

Thank you for visiting this page and showing your interest in the vital research taking place around birth trauma, professionals wellness and maternal mental health. Please see below all projects which are currently live and looking for participants. Please read with care.

UNDERSTANDING BIRTH AFTER EXPERIENCING BIRTH TRAUMA

Study led by: Rachel Briggs

Study aim: I am a trainee Clinical Psychologist working in the NHS whilst studying for the qualification of a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. This doctoral thesis research aims to understand the experiences of mothers/birthing people of pregnancy and birth when they have experienced previous birth trauma with a previous child.

We are interested in people who would describe the birth of a previous baby as psychologically traumatic. No diagnosis is needed.
The research hopefully will contribute to understanding the needs of people with previous birth trauma, and how professionals and parental services can support parents who are pregnant again. We hope to identify examples of what made a birth traumatic so that these can be further studied. We hope any examples of how to reduce the risks of retraumatising mothers who have previous birth trauma and are giving birth again, can be learnt from. The University of Southampton is the research sponsor.

Participant requirements: Adults who self-identify as having a previous traumatic birth experience and have given birth to another baby in the last three years.
Participants will be invited to complete a Qualtrics survey which includes the participant information sheet, consent forms and a demographics form (used to ensure that the research hears from a representative and diverse sample and in writing up the results so the research can consider any impact of diversity).

The survey asks for your email and/or telephone to arrange a 1:1 interview online, or in person where possible. In-person will be partially compensated for travel costs.

All interview participants can choose to be entered into a prize draw for 1x £100, and 2x £25 after their 1:1 interview. Not everyone who completes the survey will be invited to interview due to limited resources. The demographics form is to achieve a representative diverse sample as much as possible.

To find out more or request to take part: Please leave your email and/or phone number as part of the Qualtrics survey and I will contact participants who meet the requirements for the research study and have consented to take part in 1:1 interviews.

Due to wanting to hear from a variety of people who have experienced birth trauma, and having only one researcher available to conduct interviews, unfortunately not everyone who completes the survey will be contacted if numbers proceed the recruitment target.

Please find the link to the research poster and survey here: https://southampton.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b42EWxj9IMHcHxc

Participants can contact the researcher via email: r.briggs@soton.ac.uk

Recruitment closes: Ongoing.

MIDWIVES EXPERIENCES OF BIRTH REFLECTIONS SERVICES

Study led by: Saffron Lewis

Study aim: The aim of this piece of undergraduate research is to explore the role of the Birth Reflections midwife and the service provided to women and birthing people, to see if there are areas of improvement in training for the role to improve outcomes.

Participant requirements: Midwives working within the National Health Service (NHS) Birth Reflections Service/Birth Debriefing, or have done within the past 5 years.

To find out more or request to take part: To take part in the study or for more information, please email sll1n23@soton.ac.uk

Recruitment closes: January 2026.

EXPLORING REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE INEQUALITIES OF BLACK WOMEN AND BIRTHING PEOPLE

Study led by: Ope Olusoga

Study aim: B-CHANGE (Black women and Black birthing people Challenging Histories and Nurturing Grassroot Exchanges) is a PhD project that is exploring the psychological experiences of Black women and Black birthing people (trans men, inter-sex and non-binary folk who birth) accessing National Health Service (NHS) maternity/reproductive healthcare services in England. The aim of this project is to tackle reproductive healthcare inequities and positively change the maternity experience for Black women and Black birthing people through community engagement, collaboration and action.

Participant requirements: We are inviting Black women and Black birthing people (trans men, inter-sex and non-binary folk who birth) who are 1) currently pregnant, 2) have given birth in the last 24 months or 3) are considering getting pregnant in the next 24 months to take part. Individuals must be over the age of 18 to participate.

Participants will become part of a Black Birthing Collective as co-researchers. The collective will meet up, over an agreed period of time, for a total of 7 gatherings to co-design and carry out research into Black maternal health. No prior research experience is needed. Co-researchers will receive a £20.00 voucher at the end of the project as a token of appreciation for volunteering their time and expertise.

To find out more or request to take part: Participants can contact the lead researcher via email: ope.olusoga@open.ac.uk

Recruitment closes: Ongoing.

MINDSET AND THE IMPACT OF BIRTH TRAUMA

Study led by: Vicky Lloyd

Study aim: It is currently estimated that around 1 in 3 women will experience birth trauma, either before, during, or following childbirth. A further 4% of women may go on to develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). So far, lots of research has been carried out into possible risk factors for birth trauma and its subsequent negative life impact, but there is little research into the factors that can help to promote psychological recovery.

This study will look at whether self-compassion (being kind to yourself), social support (from family, friends and any significant other), psychological flexibility (ability to be in the present moment and behave in ways that are in line with our values) and perceived coping ability (how confident you feel in your ability to manage during difficult or challenging times) have an impact in reducing emotional distress and promoting psychological growth and healing in first-time mothers who have experienced birth trauma.

Participant requirements: I am looking to recruit participants who:
• are an adult (over the age of 18)
• identify as cisgender female (you were assigned female at birth and identify as a woman)
• currently live in the UK
• Are a first-time mother who has given birth to a live-born infant in the last 2 years AND experienced birth trauma prior to, during, or following the birth of your baby. You also have no history of stillbirth or neonatal loss.

To find out more or request to take part: If you have any questions or require more information about this study, please contact Vicky Lloyd (Trainee Clinical Psychologist) at l024632f@students.staffs.ac.uk.

Recruitment closes: Feb 2026.

UNDERSTANDING BLACK EXPERIENCES OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT DURING THE PERINATAL PERIOD

Study led by: Sarah Gado

Study aim: Interviewing Black people who have experienced a traumatic birth, about their experiences of support with their mental health, during the perinatal period. I hope to understand more about black people's experiences of the healthcare system, in order to discover what is required to make healthcare more supportive of Black people and people of colour.

Participant requirements: Participants will be people who identify as Black, who have experienced a traumatic birth and who feel as though they can discuss their experiences of seeking or receiving support for their mental health within the perinatal period.

Please see the recruitment poster for more information.

To find out more or request to take part: Please email sw20906@essex.ac.uk.

Recruitment closes: Ongoing.