Cognitive Processing Therapy for Childbirth-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Opening soon NCT07495228
Run by St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton · for 18 and older · Women
What this study is about
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether participation in an individual 8-session cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is feasible, acceptable, and leads to clinically meaningful trauma symptom reduction in individuals experiencing childbirth-related trauma. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Is it feasible for women and birthing people to attend and complete an 8-session course of CPT delivered virtually within a specialized women's mental health clinic? 2. Do participants find this modified 8-session CPT protocol acceptable and helpful? 3. Does the treatment lead to clinically meaningful reductions in childbirth-related posttraumatic stress and related symptoms? Participants will be asked to: 1. Attend 8 weekly sessions of individual CPT for childbirth-related trauma 2. Complete a self-report measure of trauma symptoms weekly (i.e., the PCL-5) 3. Complete additional symptom questionnaires at baseline, post-treatment, and at one-month follow-up. 4. Complete a brief qualitative interview one week after treatment to share feedback on their experience
Who can join (things the study team will check)
✅ You may be able to join if…
- women/birthing people aged 18 years and older who are fluent in English (able to speak/understand and read English), and who are at least one month postpartum
- either indicate clinical levels of PTSD related to a traumatic birth (i.e., 31 or higher on the PCL-5) or endorse significant distress or impairment as a result of their traumatic childbirth experience
- not receiving concurrent psychological treatment
- not taking psychoactive medication or if taking medications, are stable in dose and type for at least 8 weeks prior to the study (as per Canadian psychiatric guidelines; McQueen et al., 2016) and remain stable throughout the study
🚫 You may not be able to join if…
- severe depression/suicidality requiring acute intervention
- medication changes in dose or type
Where this trial is running
- Women's Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Who to contact
Sheryl M Green, Ph.D., C.Psych · 905-522-1155 · sgreen@stjosham.on.ca
It's completely normal to call and ask questions before deciding anything. Mention the study ID: NCT07495228.
Verify everything on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Page updated July 2026.