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  3. Investigating if a Compassion Focused Therapy App improves wellbeing and reduces psychological distress in those at risk of post-partum stress disorder following traumatic birth 

Investigating if a Compassion Focused Therapy App improves wellbeing and reduces psychological distress in those at risk of post-partum stress disorder following traumatic birth 

Postnatal women / birthing people who are experiencing psychological distress, but do not warrant referral to specialist psychiatry services, frequently request a birth reflection discussion (clinical debriefing) to help understand their experience. However, wait times can be several weeks or months for this appointment.  

Compassion- Focussed Therapy [CFT] is one emerging intervention that may be influential in boosting wellbeing as it aims to help people cultivate compassion for self, others and be open to receiving compassion from others. This can help people who report symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and trauma; reducing psychological distress by aiming to help people respond to self-criticism, shame and guilt with self-compassion and supportive inner voices. These are commonly noted sequelae after a traumatic birth.  

Minimising experience of sustained psychological distress post-birth is important as these difficulties are associated with disruption to maternal-infant attachment, relationships and daily functioning, negatively impacting on future child health outcomes. 

This project aims to explore an existing CFT App and its potential to reduce psychological distress in women who have birthed.  

Planned projects: 

  1. Complete a systematic literature review related to CFT and psychological distress  after pregnancy and birth to explore technology strategies, validated measurement tools and utility and effectiveness in this population.  
  1. Complete focus groups with stakeholders (clinicians) and PPIE discussion groups (service users) to ensure the method developed meets the needs of stakeholders. 
  1. Develop a study protocol to explore the feasibility, acceptability and usefulness of the CFT App with postnatal women wating for their clinical debriefing appointment.

Funder

MAHSC & Health Innovation Manchester (HInM)

Women & Children’s Research Domain

Team

Dr Christine Furber (Associate Professor (Reader) Midwifery)  

Professor Alison Brettle (Professor of Health Information and Evidence Based Practice)         

Professor Vanessa Heaslip (Professor of Nursing and Healthcare Equity School of Nursing and Society) 

Dr Celeste Foster (Associate Professor (Reader) Mental Health Nursing)

Dr Jeanne Lythgoe (Senior Lecturer in Midwifery) 

Dr Elaine Beaumont (Lecturer and Psychotherapist) 

Dr Kylie Watson (Consultant Midwife Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust)

Dr Helen Cameron (Midwife and Research Assistant)  

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