Validation of the polish city birth trauma scale: Links to sensory processing sensitivity and birth satisfaction

Given the absence of a validated Polish method for assessing childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, we aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the City Birth Trauma Scale (City BiTS-PL) and investigate its latent factor structure and the links with sensory processing sensitivity and birth satisfaction.

In a cross-sectional descriptive study, a sample of 296 mothers completed an online survey, which included the City BiTS-PL, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised, the Highly Sensitive Person Scale, and the questions about the sociodemographic and pregnancy/birth-related characteristics.

The City BiTS-PL was found to have generally good measurement properties. In confirmatory factor analysis, the two-factor solution achieved the best fit out of the three tested models. The internal consistency was satisfactory for the subscales and the whole scale (Cronbach's α = .61-.91). Convergent validity with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised, and Highly Sensitive Person Scale and divergent validity testing indicated robust validity. The prevalence of CB-PTSD in our sample was 6.1%.

The City BiTS is a reliable and valid measure, but difficulties were observed during the analysis in fitting the scale to the models, especially in the context of fitting a four-factor model based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnostic criteria. Therefore, the tool should be considered as a screening, not a clinical, method. Sensory processing sensitivity is positively related to CB-PTSD, shedding light on the importance of temperamental sensitivity to the environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).