Susan Ayers
Biographic Data
| ID | 6213818 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Susan Ayers |
| GIVEN NAMES | Susan |
| FAMILY NAME | Ayers |
| SIGNATURE | AYERS S |
| AFFILIATIONS | City, University of London |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 18 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1997 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Covid-19 and anxiety in pregnancy and postpartum
Findings suggest pandemic-related restrictions caused anxiety for more women than COVID per se. Adherence to guidelines was variable yet the prevalence of COVID infections was low compared to the general population. Findings can be used to inform policy and practice for future pandemics and health-related crises
Acceptability and content validity of suicidality screening items
Existing suicide-related screening items may not be acceptable to perinatal women. Maternity practitioners and researchers should consider the phrasing, clarity, context, and framing of screening items when discussing suicidality with perinatal women to ensure potential barriers are not being reinforced. The development of specific suicidality screening measures that are acceptable, appropriate, and relevant to perinatal women are warranted
Socioeconomic deprivation and perinatal anxiety
Neighbourhood deprivation relative to regional deprivation is a better predictor of perinatal anxiety than either regional deprivation or neighbourhood deprivation alone. Women of mixed ethnic backgrounds and women with physical health problems may warrant more attention in terms of screening and support for perinatal anxiety. Self-reported desire for treatment was found to be low
Guilt-and Shame-Proneness, Birth-related Post-traumatic Stress and Post-Traumatic Growth in Women with Preterm Birth
Mothers of premature infants are at high risk of experiencing birth trauma and poor postpartum mental health. However, for some, this experience can lead to personal growth. This study examines Lithuanian women with preterm births, where birth-related PTSD is notably higher despite a lower preterm birth rate. Given the common emotional responses of guilt and shame, we explore whether proneness to these emotions moderates the relationship between …
The latent factor structure and assessment of childbirth-related PTSD
The Persian version of the City Birth Trauma Scale (CityBiTS-Pr) is a valid and reliable questionnaire for evaluating postpartum PTSD
Nobody Listened”. Mothers’ Experiences and Needs Regarding Professional Support Prior to Their Admission to an Infant Mental Health Day Clinic
Challenges during the perinatal period can lead to maternal distress, negatively affecting mother-infant interaction. This study aims to retrospectively explore the experiences and needs regarding professional support of mothers with difficulties in mother-infant interaction prior to their admission to an infant mental health day clinic. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 mothers who had accessed an infant mental health da…
Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine
TEST 02 - Elsevier's Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. Search and access research from the science, technology, medicine, social sciences and arts and humanities fields.
Measuring and conceptualizing PTSD following childbirth
The City Birth Trauma Scale is a reliable and valid measure. Both total scale score and subscale scores can be calculated. It is highly recommended for use in postpartum population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine
Development of a Measure of Postpartum PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 4% of women after birth yet there are very few questionnaire measures of postpartum PTSD that have been validated in this population. In addition, none of the available questionnaires assess postpartum PTSD in accordance with criteria specified in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [DSM-5, (1)]. The City Birth Trauma Scale is a 29-item questionnaire developed to measure birth-…
The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in pregnancy and after birth
Supporting women with postpartum anxiety
Anxiety is common among postpartum women and can have adverse effects on mother's and child's somatic and psychological health if left untreated. In the UK, nurses or midwifes with a specialisation in community public health nursing, also called health visitors (HVs), work with families who have children younger than 5 years of age and are therefore in a key position to identify and support women with postpartum mental health issues. Until recent…
Adolescent girls' views on cosmetic surgery
This study examined adolescent girls' views of cosmetic surgery. Seven focus groups were run with girls aged 15-18 years ( N = 27). Participants read case studies of women having cosmetic surgery, followed by discussion and exploration of their views. Thematic analysis identified four themes: (1) dissatisfaction with appearance, (2) acceptability of cosmetic surgery, (3) feelings about undergoing cosmetic surgery and (4) cosmetic surgery in the m…
Narratives of traumatic birth
Childbirth is a highly emotive event that can involve complications. Around 1% of births in the United Kingdom involve life-threatening complications to the mother (Waterstone, Bewley, & Wolfe, 2001) and 0.8% result in stillbirth or perinatal death (Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health [CEMACH], 2009). A review found that 3.1% of women report posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after birth (Grekin & O'Hara, 2014). The aim of this …
Brief Online Self-help Exercises for Postnatal Women to Improve Mood
Stillbirth and Stigma
This study investigated mothers' experiences surrounding stillbirth in the United Kingdom, their memory making and sharing opportunities, and the effect these opportunities had on them. Qualitative data were generated from free text responses to open-ended questions. Thematic content analysis revealed that "stigma" was experienced by most women and Goffman's (1963) work on stigma was subsequently used as an analytical framework. Results suggest t…
Transition to Parenthood and Mental Health in First‐time Parents
This study aimed to examine the transition to parenthood and mental health in first‐time parents in detail and explore any differences in this transition in the context of parental gender and postpartum mental health. Semistructured clinical interviews (Birmingham Interview for Maternal Mental Health) were carried out with 46 women and 40 men, 5 months after birth. Parents were assessed on pre‐ and postpartum anxiety, depression, and postpartum p…
Applying Leventhal’s self-regulatory model to pregnancy
This study explored whether women’s beliefs about, and emotional responses to, pregnancy could account for variations in maternal mental and physical health outcomes, using the self-regulatory model as a theoretical framework. Women in the last trimester of pregnancy ( N = 408) completed an online survey including measures of representations of pregnancy, coping, and physical and mental health. Results revealed that representations of pregnancy a…
Risk perception of women during high risk pregnancy
Boredom proneness in a psychiatric inpatient population
BACKGROUND: Boredom has been reported as a common experience for service users of acute psychiatric wards. It has been associated with negative mental and physical health. Research has yet to show what factors are associated with boredom proneness within the acute psychiatric population. AIMS: (1) To investigate the distribution of boredom proneness in a population of mentally ill inpatients according to age, gender, diagnosis, Mental Health Act …
Postnatal mental health and parenting
Parents' postnatal mental health and subjective perceptions of their baby are likely to influence the quality of their relationship with their baby. To date, this has largely been examined in mothers; therefore, this study aimed to also explore this in both parents. Semistructured clinical interviews [The Birmingham Interview for Maternal Mental Health (BIMMH); Brockingon, Chandra et al., 2006] were carried out with 85 first‐time parents. The BMM…
The Application of Chaos Theory to Psychology
Chaos theory has successfully explained various phenomena in the natural sciences and has subsequently been heralded by some as the new paradigm for science. Chaos and its concepts are beginning to be applied to psychology by researchers from cognitive, developmental and clinical psychology. This paper seeks to provide an overview of this work and evaluate the application of chaos to psychology. Chaos is briefly explained before existing applicat…
Transition to Parenthood and Mental Health in First‐time Parents
This study aimed to examine the transition to parenthood and mental health in first‐time parents in detail and explore any differences in this transition in the context of parental gender and postpartum mental health. Semistructured clinical interviews (Birmingham Interview for Maternal Mental Health) were carried out with 46 women and 40 men, 5 months after birth. Parents were assessed on pre‐ and postpartum anxiety, depression, and postpartum p…
Supporting women with postpartum anxiety
Anxiety is common among postpartum women and can have adverse effects on mother's and child's somatic and psychological health if left untreated. In the UK, nurses or midwifes with a specialisation in community public health nursing, also called health visitors (HVs), work with families who have children younger than 5 years of age and are therefore in a key position to identify and support women with postpartum mental health issues. Until recent…
Applying Leventhal’s self-regulatory model to pregnancy
This study explored whether women’s beliefs about, and emotional responses to, pregnancy could account for variations in maternal mental and physical health outcomes, using the self-regulatory model as a theoretical framework. Women in the last trimester of pregnancy ( N = 408) completed an online survey including measures of representations of pregnancy, coping, and physical and mental health. Results revealed that representations of pregnancy a…
Adolescent girls' views on cosmetic surgery
This study examined adolescent girls' views of cosmetic surgery. Seven focus groups were run with girls aged 15-18 years ( N = 27). Participants read case studies of women having cosmetic surgery, followed by discussion and exploration of their views. Thematic analysis identified four themes: (1) dissatisfaction with appearance, (2) acceptability of cosmetic surgery, (3) feelings about undergoing cosmetic surgery and (4) cosmetic surgery in the m…
Postnatal mental health and parenting
Parents' postnatal mental health and subjective perceptions of their baby are likely to influence the quality of their relationship with their baby. To date, this has largely been examined in mothers; therefore, this study aimed to also explore this in both parents. Semistructured clinical interviews [The Birmingham Interview for Maternal Mental Health (BIMMH); Brockingon, Chandra et al., 2006] were carried out with 85 first‐time parents. The BMM…
The Application of Chaos Theory to Psychology
Chaos theory has successfully explained various phenomena in the natural sciences and has subsequently been heralded by some as the new paradigm for science. Chaos and its concepts are beginning to be applied to psychology by researchers from cognitive, developmental and clinical psychology. This paper seeks to provide an overview of this work and evaluate the application of chaos to psychology. Chaos is briefly explained before existing applicat…
Risk perception of women during high risk pregnancy
Boredom proneness in a psychiatric inpatient population
BACKGROUND: Boredom has been reported as a common experience for service users of acute psychiatric wards. It has been associated with negative mental and physical health. Research has yet to show what factors are associated with boredom proneness within the acute psychiatric population. AIMS: (1) To investigate the distribution of boredom proneness in a population of mentally ill inpatients according to age, gender, diagnosis, Mental Health Act …
Postnatal mental health and parenting
Parents' postnatal mental health and subjective perceptions of their baby are likely to influence the quality of their relationship with their baby. To date, this has largely been examined in mothers; therefore, this study aimed to also explore this in both parents. Semistructured clinical interviews [The Birmingham Interview for Maternal Mental Health (BIMMH); Brockingon, Chandra et al., 2006] were carried out with 85 first‐time parents. The BMM…
Applying Leventhal’s self-regulatory model to pregnancy
This study explored whether women’s beliefs about, and emotional responses to, pregnancy could account for variations in maternal mental and physical health outcomes, using the self-regulatory model as a theoretical framework. Women in the last trimester of pregnancy ( N = 408) completed an online survey including measures of representations of pregnancy, coping, and physical and mental health. Results revealed that representations of pregnancy a…
Stillbirth and Stigma
This study investigated mothers' experiences surrounding stillbirth in the United Kingdom, their memory making and sharing opportunities, and the effect these opportunities had on them. Qualitative data were generated from free text responses to open-ended questions. Thematic content analysis revealed that "stigma" was experienced by most women and Goffman's (1963) work on stigma was subsequently used as an analytical framework. Results suggest t…
Transition to Parenthood and Mental Health in First‐time Parents
This study aimed to examine the transition to parenthood and mental health in first‐time parents in detail and explore any differences in this transition in the context of parental gender and postpartum mental health. Semistructured clinical interviews (Birmingham Interview for Maternal Mental Health) were carried out with 46 women and 40 men, 5 months after birth. Parents were assessed on pre‐ and postpartum anxiety, depression, and postpartum p…
Narratives of traumatic birth
Childbirth is a highly emotive event that can involve complications. Around 1% of births in the United Kingdom involve life-threatening complications to the mother (Waterstone, Bewley, & Wolfe, 2001) and 0.8% result in stillbirth or perinatal death (Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health [CEMACH], 2009). A review found that 3.1% of women report posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after birth (Grekin & O'Hara, 2014). The aim of this …
Brief Online Self-help Exercises for Postnatal Women to Improve Mood
Adolescent girls' views on cosmetic surgery
This study examined adolescent girls' views of cosmetic surgery. Seven focus groups were run with girls aged 15-18 years ( N = 27). Participants read case studies of women having cosmetic surgery, followed by discussion and exploration of their views. Thematic analysis identified four themes: (1) dissatisfaction with appearance, (2) acceptability of cosmetic surgery, (3) feelings about undergoing cosmetic surgery and (4) cosmetic surgery in the m…
The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in pregnancy and after birth
Supporting women with postpartum anxiety
Anxiety is common among postpartum women and can have adverse effects on mother's and child's somatic and psychological health if left untreated. In the UK, nurses or midwifes with a specialisation in community public health nursing, also called health visitors (HVs), work with families who have children younger than 5 years of age and are therefore in a key position to identify and support women with postpartum mental health issues. Until recent…
Development of a Measure of Postpartum PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 4% of women after birth yet there are very few questionnaire measures of postpartum PTSD that have been validated in this population. In addition, none of the available questionnaires assess postpartum PTSD in accordance with criteria specified in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [DSM-5, (1)]. The City Birth Trauma Scale is a 29-item questionnaire developed to measure birth-…
Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine
TEST 02 - Elsevier's Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature. Search and access research from the science, technology, medicine, social sciences and arts and humanities fields.
Measuring and conceptualizing PTSD following childbirth
The City Birth Trauma Scale is a reliable and valid measure. Both total scale score and subscale scores can be calculated. It is highly recommended for use in postpartum population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine
Nobody Listened”. Mothers’ Experiences and Needs Regarding Professional Support Prior to Their Admission to an Infant Mental Health Day Clinic
Challenges during the perinatal period can lead to maternal distress, negatively affecting mother-infant interaction. This study aims to retrospectively explore the experiences and needs regarding professional support of mothers with difficulties in mother-infant interaction prior to their admission to an infant mental health day clinic. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 mothers who had accessed an infant mental health da…
The latent factor structure and assessment of childbirth-related PTSD
The Persian version of the City Birth Trauma Scale (CityBiTS-Pr) is a valid and reliable questionnaire for evaluating postpartum PTSD
Acceptability and content validity of suicidality screening items
Existing suicide-related screening items may not be acceptable to perinatal women. Maternity practitioners and researchers should consider the phrasing, clarity, context, and framing of screening items when discussing suicidality with perinatal women to ensure potential barriers are not being reinforced. The development of specific suicidality screening measures that are acceptable, appropriate, and relevant to perinatal women are warranted
Socioeconomic deprivation and perinatal anxiety
Neighbourhood deprivation relative to regional deprivation is a better predictor of perinatal anxiety than either regional deprivation or neighbourhood deprivation alone. Women of mixed ethnic backgrounds and women with physical health problems may warrant more attention in terms of screening and support for perinatal anxiety. Self-reported desire for treatment was found to be low
Guilt-and Shame-Proneness, Birth-related Post-traumatic Stress and Post-Traumatic Growth in Women with Preterm Birth
Mothers of premature infants are at high risk of experiencing birth trauma and poor postpartum mental health. However, for some, this experience can lead to personal growth. This study examines Lithuanian women with preterm births, where birth-related PTSD is notably higher despite a lower preterm birth rate. Given the common emotional responses of guilt and shame, we explore whether proneness to these emotions moderates the relationship between …
Covid-19 and anxiety in pregnancy and postpartum
Findings suggest pandemic-related restrictions caused anxiety for more women than COVID per se. Adherence to guidelines was variable yet the prevalence of COVID infections was low compared to the general population. Findings can be used to inform policy and practice for future pandemics and health-related crises
Psychology (16 works) · Psychiatry (15 works) · Medicine (14 works) · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum (11 works) · Clinical Psychology (10 works) · Clinical Psychology (9 works) · Mental health (9 works) · Anxiety (8 works) · Pregnancy (6 works) · Child Abuse and Trauma (5 works)