Primary Birth Trauma in Australian Midwives: A Correlational Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND:The Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency (AHPRA) records 98.7% of the 32,000 registered midwives as female. In 2021, Australia recorded 309,996 births, and one in three women experienced birth trauma. While the exact proportion of midwives who have given birth is unknown, it is likely the majority. As a consequence, 5,000–11,000 midwives may have experienced primary birth trauma (PBT). Little is known about midwives’ personal experience of birth trauma and its relationship to factors that affect their experience of the maternity workplace setting.AIMS:This study aimed to explore mental health morbidity and factors associated with the severity of PBT in Australian midwives and the relationships between these factors and professional quality of life.METHODS:Australian registered midwives 12 months post birth trauma experience and having returned to the maternity workplace without restrictions to their AHPRA registration were included. Data were collected via an online survey with four validated tools and general demographic information.FINDINGS:Midwives who have experienced PBT have symptomology for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and burnout. Midwives with these symptomologies work within maternity settings with little known about the implications of accumulative symptoms, their impact on care provision or clinical decision-making, and overall long-term personal and professional well-being and health.CONCLUSION:This study found that midwives experience psychological, professional, and personal issues and trauma symptomology associated with their own primary birth trauma. Further research exploring simplified symptomatology identification and appropriate interventions both inside and outside the work environment is required to improve midwives’ mental health, rates of retention in the workplace, and job satisfaction.