The latent factor structure and assessment of childbirth-related PTSD in fathers: Psychometric characteristics of the City Birth Trauma Scale—French version (partner version).

Abstract

Objective. There is no evidence on the latent structure of symptoms of childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) in fathers and to date, no validated French instrument exists to measure CB-PTSD in partners, although the City Birth Trauma Scale (partner version) (City BiTS (P)) was developed to measure such CB-PTSD symptoms. This study aimed to validate the French version of the City BiTS-P (City BiTS-F (P)) in partners attending childbirth and to examine its factor structure, reliability, and validity. Method. French-speaking fathers of 1-to-12-month-olds participated in this online cross-sectional survey (n = 280). They completed the City BiTS-F (P), the PTSD Checklist, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, as well as sociodemographic and medical items. Results. The four-factor model did not fit well the data, contrary to the two-factor model with birth-related symptoms (BRS) and general symptoms (GS). However, the bifactor model with a general factor and the BRS and GS provided the best fit to the data. High reliability (α = .88–.89), and good convergent and divergent validity were found. Fathers with a history of traumatic childbirth reported higher total and subscale scores. Discussion. Our findings provide evidence for the use of the City BiTS-F (P) as a reliable and validated tool to assess CB-PTSD symptoms in French-speaking partners. The use of the total score in addition to the BRS and GS subscale scores is warranted.

Swiss cohort on Traumatic Childbirth and Health (SwiTCH): protocol for a prospective, population-based cohort study on parents’ mental health from pregnancy to one year postpartum

“…A French version of the City Bits (City BiTS-F) has been validated and good psychometric properties have been reported 20. The City BiTS-F has also been validated to assess CB-PTSD and CB-PTSS in partners 21…”

“…20 The City BiTS-F has also been validated to assess CB-PTSD and CB-PTSS in partners. 21 Perceived birth trauma Perceived birth trauma will be assessed using a single-item question on a 10-point scale for women to rate whether their birth was traumatic from not at all (0) to extremely (10). This question will be used to verify if a single-item question can be validated to assess birth trauma.…”