City Birth Trauma Scale (all questions and diagnostic subscales)

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Scoring - diagnostic criteria

  • Stressor Criterion - Women fulfil DSM-5 criterion A if they respond yes to Q1 or Q2.
  • Re-experiencing symptoms (1 needed) - score 1 or more on any question from Q3 to Q7 inclusive.
  • Avoidance symptoms (1 needed) - score 1 or more on Q8 or Q9.
  • Negative cognitions and mood (2 needed) - score 1 or more on 2 questions from Q10 to Q16 inclusive.
  • Hyperarousal (2 needed) - score 1 or more on 2 questions from Q17 to Q22 inclusive.
  • Duration - score 1 or more on Q26.
  • Distress and impairment - score 1 or more on Q27 or Q28.
  • Exclusion criteria - If there is a score of 1 or more on Q29 then exclude from diagnostic PTSD
  • PTSD with dissociative symptoms - Q23 and Q24 measure dissociative symptoms so if there is a score of 1 or more on either of these questions the diagnosis should be ‘PTSD with dissociative symptoms’.
  • PTSD with delayed onset - Score of 2 on Q25 means PTSD with delayed onset. Please note a score of 0 on Q25 suggests PTSD prior to birth so is a measure of prevalence rather than new incidence of PTSD due to birth.