- Overview
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I lead the UBC Perinatal Anxiety Research Lab (PARLab). The PARLab conducts research in the area of perinatal anxiety, with a focus on postpartum thoughts of infant related harm and their relationship with infant safety and mental health, as well as screening for perinatal anxiety, fear of childbirth and postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD; an anxiety-related mental health condition).
I am motivated to working in this area for several reasons. We now know that anxiety and anxiety related disorders are experienced by 21% of pregnant and postpartum people which is much more than depression. There are excellent treatments for anxiety conditions, in particular talk therapies. Historically, significant attention has been given to understanding postpartum depression, with much less attention given to perinatal anxiety.
In our related area of research: postpartum thoughts of infant-related harm, we now know that unwanted intrusive thoughts of accidental, infant-related harm are reported by 99% of new parents, and unwanted, intrusive thoughts of harming one’s infant re reported by 50% of new parents. We also know that when thoughts of harming one’s infant on purpose are experienced as unwanted and intrusive, they are not a risk factor for infant abuse. Because this is poorly known, frequently when parents share their thoughts with care providers they are viewed and treated as if at risk of harming their infant. This can have a significant negative impact of parental mental health and family wellbeing. Our goals are to increase knowledge and improve care for parents who are experiencing these kinds of thoughts.
- Publications
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The Childbirth Fear Questionnaire and the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire as Screening Tools for Specific Phobia, Fear of Childbirth
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Nichole Fairbrother and Arianne Albert and fanie Collardeau and Cora Keeney
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084647
04/2022Screening for Perinatal Anxiety Using the Childbirth Fear Questionnaire: A New Measure of Fear of Childbirth
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Nichole Fairbrother and fanie Collardeau and Arianne Albert and Kathrin Stoll
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042223
02/2022Anxiety among women experiencing medically complicated pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Birth
Abrar, A. and Fairbrother, N. and Smith, A.P. and Skoll, A. and Albert, A.Y.K.
DOI: 10.1111/birt.12443
2020The prevalence of anxiety disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period: A multivariate Bayesian meta-analysis
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Fawcett, E.J. and Fairbrother, N. and Cox, M.L. and White, I.R. and Fawcett, J.M.
DOI: 10.4088/JCP.18r12527
2019Psychometric Properties and Clinical Utility of the Specific Phobia Questionnaire in an Anxiety Disorders Sample
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment
Ovanessian, M.M. and Fairbrother, N. and Vorstenbosch, V. and McCabe, R.E. and Rowa, K. and Antony, M.M.
DOI: 10.1007/s10862-018-9687-1
2019Open Relationship Prevalence, Characteristics, and Correlates in a Nationally Representative Sample of Canadian Adults
Journal of Sex Research
Fairbrother, N. and Hart, T.A. and Fairbrother, M.
DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2019.1580667
2019When soothing succeeds: Simulating a risk for repeated shaking in abusive head trauma in infants
Infant Behavior and Development
Chen, M. and Barr, R.G. and Miller, E. and Fairbrother, N. and Antle, A. and Brant, R.
DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.02.004
2019Screening for perinatal anxiety disorders: Room to grow
Journal of Affective Disorders
Fairbrother, N. and Corbyn, B. and Thordarson, D.S. and Ma, A. and Surm, D.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.03.052
2019Prepartum and postpartum mothers' and fathers' unwanted, intrusive thoughts in response to infant crying
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
Fairbrother, N. and Barr, R.G. and Chen, M. and Riar, S. and Miller, E. and Brant, R. and Ma, A.
DOI: 10.1017/S1352465818000474
2019Maternal unwanted and intrusive thoughts of infant-related harm, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression in the perinatal period: Study protocol
BMC Psychiatry
Collardeau, F. and Corbyn, B. and Abramowitz, J. and Janssen, P.A. and Woody, S. and Fairbrother, N.
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2067-x
2019Critical incidents that help and hinder the development and maintenance of polyamorous relationships
Sexual and Relationship Therapy
Duplassie, D. and Fairbrother, N.
DOI: 10.1080/14681994.2016.1213804
2018Does molimina indicate ovulation? Prospective data in a hormonally documented single-cycle in spontaneously menstruating women
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Prior, J.C. and Konishi, C. and Hitchcock, C.L. and Kingwell, E. and Janssen, P. and Cheung, A.P. and Fairbrother, N. and Goshtasebi, A.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15051016
2018Childbirth Fear: Relation to Birth and Care Provider Preferences
Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health
Stoll, K. and Fairbrother, N. and Thordarson, D.S.
DOI: 10.1111/jmwh.12675
2018A Bayesian multivariate approach to estimating the prevalence of a superordinate category of disorders
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
Fawcett, J.M. and Fairbrother, N. and Fawcett, E.J. and White, I.R.
DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1742
2018Fine tuning fear of childbirth: the relationship between Childbirth Fear Questionnaire subscales and demographic and reproductive variables
Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology
Fairbrother, N. and Thordarson, D.S. and Stoll, K.
DOI: 10.1080/02646838.2017.1396300
2018Correlates and predictors of new mothers' responses to postpartum thoughts of accidental and intentional harm and obsessive compulsive symptoms
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
Fairbrother, N. and Thordarson, D.S. and Challacombe, F.L. and Sakaluk, J.K.
DOI: 10.1017/S1352465817000765
2018A systematic review of nonpharmacological prenatal interventions for pregnancy-specific anxiety and fear of childbirth
Birth
Stoll, K. and Swift, E.M. and Fairbrother, N. and Nethery, E. and Janssen, P.
DOI: 10.1111/birt.12316
2018The prevalence and incidence of perinatal anxiety disorders among women experiencing a medically complicated pregnancy
Archives of Women's Mental Health
Fairbrother, N. and Young, A.H. and Zhang, A. and Janssen, P. and Antony, M.M.
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-016-0704-7
2017Perinatal anxiety disorder prevalence and incidence
Journal of Affective Disorders
Fairbrother, N. and Janssen, P. and Antony, M.M. and Tucker, E. and Young, A.H.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.082
2016Maternal thoughts of harm in response to infant crying: an experimental analysis
Archives of Women's Mental Health
Fairbrother, N. and Barr, R.G. and Pauwels, J. and Brant, R. and Green, J.
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-014-0471-2
2015Depression and anxiety during the perinatal period
BMC Psychiatry
Fairbrother, N. and Young, A.H. and Janssen, P. and Antony, M.M. and Tucker, E.
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0526-6
2015The Canadian birth place study: Examining maternity care provider attitudes and interprofessional conflict around planned home birth
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Vedam, S. and Stoll, K. and Schummers, L. and Fairbrother, N. and Klein, M.C and Thordarson, D. and Kornelsen, J. and Dharamsi, S. and Rogers, J. and Liston, R. and Kaczorowski, J.
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-353
2014Maternal frustration, emotional and behavioural responses to prolonged infant crying
Infant Behavior and Development
Barr, R.G. and Fairbrother, N. and Pauwels, J. and Green, J. and Chen, M. and Brant, R.
DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2014.08.012
2014The Canadian Birth Place Study: Describing maternity practice and providers' exposure to home birth
Midwifery
Vedam, S. and Schummers, L. and Stoll, K. and Rogers, J. and Klein, M.C. and Fairbrother, N. and Dharamsi, S. and Liston, R. and Chong, G.K. and Kaczorowski, J.
DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2012.06.011
2012Fertility and aging: Do reproductive-aged Canadian women know what they need to know?
Fertility and Sterility
Bretherick, K.L. and Fairbrother, N. and Avila, L. and Harbord, S.H.A. and Robinson, W.P.
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.01.064
2010Reproductive-aged women's knowledge and attitudes regarding infant-feeding practices: An experimental evaluation
Journal of Human Lactation
Fairbrother, N. and Stanger-Ross, I.
DOI: 10.1177/0890334409352853
2010"it's all the rage these days": University students' attitudes toward vaginal and cesarean birth
Birth
Stoll, K. and Fairbrother, N. and Carty, E. and Jordan, N. and Miceli, C. and Vostrcil, Y. and Willihnganz, L.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-536X.2009.00310.x
2009New mothers' thoughts of harm related to the newborn
Archives of Women's Mental Health
Fairbrother, N. and Woody, S.R.
DOI: 10.1007/s00737-008-0016-7
2008Psychometric Evaluation of the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue Scale for Use With Pregnant and Postpartum Women
Psychological Assessment
Fairbrother, N. and Hutton, E.K. and Stoll, K. and Hall, W. and Kluka, S.
DOI: 10.1037/1040-3590.20.2.150
2008New parenthood as a risk factor for the development of obsessional problems
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Fairbrother, N. and Abramowitz, J.S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2006.09.019
2007Fear of childbirth and obstetrical events as predictors of postnatal symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology
Fairbrother, N. and Woody, S.R.
DOI: 10.1080/01674820701495065
2007PTSD in victims of sexual assault: Test of a major component of the Ehlers-Clark theory
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
Fairbrother, N. and Rachman, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2004.08.004
2006Mental pollution: Feelings of dirtiness without physical contact
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Fairbrother, N. and Newth, S.J. and Rachman, S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2003.12.005
2005Relation between prenatal maternal mood and anxiety and neonatal health.
Misri S and Oberlander TF and Fairbrother N and Carter D and Ryan D and Kuan AJ and Reebye P
PubMed: 15560315
10/2004Feelings of mental pollution subsequent to sexual assault
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Fairbrother, N. and Rachman, S.
DOI: 10.1016/S0005-7967(03)00108-6
2004Sexual Assault of Women: Prevention Efforts and Risk Factors
Violence Against Women
S{\"o}chting, I. and Fairbrother, N. and Koch, W.J.
DOI: 10.1177/1077801203255680
2004Relation between prenatal maternal mood and anxiety and neonatal health
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry
Misri, S. and Oberlander, T.F. and Fairbrother, N. and Carter, D. and Ryan, D. and Kuan, A.J. and Reebye, P.
DOI: 10.1177/070674370404901006
2004The treatment of social phobia - 100 Years ago
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Fairbrother, N.
DOI: 10.1016/S0005-7967(01)00139-5
2002Sociotropy, autonomy, and self-discrepancy: Status in depressed, remitted depressed, and control participants
Cognitive Therapy and Research
Fairbrother, N. and Moretti, M.
DOI: 10.1023/A:1018796810260
1998
Congratulations CIHR Grant Recipients!
Congratulations to the BC Children's and BC Women's investigators who were awarded funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant Fall 2020 competition.
