SynthesisAustralian occupational therapy journal2026
A systematic review of nonpharmacological interventions to improve trauma symptoms and mother-infant bonding for women who experience birth trauma.
Synthesis in Australian occupational therapy journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A systematic review of nonpharmacological interventions to improve trauma symptoms and mother-infant bonding for women who experience birth trauma.Australian occupational therapy journal · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionChildbirth trauma affects a significant number of women and their families worldwide, with a broad range of prevalence estimations in Australia from 28% to 45%. Birth trauma has been found to influence the early mother-infant relationship. The role of occupational therapy within the perinatal context is emerging, although evidence of occupation-based interventions for women following birth trauma is sparse. This study aimed to (1) synthesise the literature on non-pharmacological interventions that address both childbirth-related trauma symptoms and the mother-infant relationship and (2) summarise the reported efficacy of the interventions on reducing trauma symptoms and improving the mother-infant relationship.
methodsSix databases were searched in December 2024. The search retrieved 1532 results, and after duplicate removal, 1476 articles were retrieved, and ultimately six articles were included. The quality of the included studies was appraised for methodological quality according to the Cochrane handbook for assessing risk of bias. Data were extracted in January 2025 and included information on study locations, design, participants, time between childbirth and recruitment, intervention and outcomes, key findings, and limitations. CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: This systematic review involved no consumer or community involvement.
resultsSix studies met inclusion criteria. None of the retrieved studies trialled occupation-based interventions. Psychology and midwifery were the most represented groups in the intervention design and delivery. A range of outcome measures and timepoints were used. Both mother-infant bonding and trauma symptoms improved over time across the intervention and control groups. Evidence was limited to support any specific intervention for trauma symptoms or mother-infant bonding following birth trauma.
conclusionsBirth trauma is an emerging field of research. From an occupational therapy perspective, there is a scarcity of evidence on interventions that are designed around occupational participation or mother-infant co-occupation. Further research into occupation-based support for women after birth trauma is recommended.
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