Advancing Perinatal Psychometrics

About the Project

Background and Aims

Perinatal mental health difficulties affect up to 20% of mothers and birthing people, yet existing measurement tools often fail to capture the unique psychological challenges of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Measures are frequently used from general population tools, risking poor validity and cultural inappropriateness. There is an urgent need to understand which available tools are psychometrically robust and tools develop and/or adapt tools designed to assess perinatal anxiety, depression, and related constructs across diverse populations.

This PhD project aims to transform the psychometric landscape of perinatal mental health by evaluating, developing and/or adapting, and validating a suite of cutting-edge, culturally sensitive measurement tools. By combining qualitative data from service users and clinicians with modern psychometric approaches—such as Item Response Theory (IRT) and measurement invariance techniques, the project aims to identify tools that are both scientifically rigorous and clinically meaningful. The ultimate goal is to enhance screening, assessment, and intervention evaluation, leading to improved mental health outcomes for parents and their infants.

The candidate will undertake a series of studies, including a systematic review of existing measures, qualitative research to identify gaps and priorities from the perspectives of key stakeholders, and large-scale quantitative studies to test and compare the psychometric properties of measures. Opportunities exist for cross-cultural validation, with potential collaborations focusing on the adaptation of tools for global contexts.

Training and Collaboration

The candidate will receive comprehensive, multidisciplinary training in advanced psychometric techniques, perinatal mental health research, qualitative and mixed methods, and research ethics. Core training will also include data management, open science practices, and statistical programming using R.

Collaboration is a central feature of this project. The candidate will work closely with experts in clinical and health psychology, psychometrics, and perinatal health, alongside healthcare professionals and service-user groups. There will also be opportunities for international collaboration, such as contributing to the translation and validation of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS) for use in India and other cultural contexts. Access to established research networks and perinatal mental health organisations will provide real-world impact and dissemination opportunities.

Project Structure

The first year will focus on foundational training, literature reviews, and the development of study protocols. The candidate will refine their methodological skills through workshops, short courses, and initial pilot studies. This stage will also involve close engagement with stakeholders to ensure that the research is grounded in lived experiences and clinical needs.

The second year will focus on primary data collection, including qualitative research, large-scale surveys, and advanced statistical analyses. The candidate will lead the psychometric validation work, using modern analytic frameworks to assess factor structure, reliability, validity, and acceptability of the new measures.

The final year will be dedicated to synthesising findings into the doctoral thesis, developing research outputs for publication, and disseminating results to academic, clinical, and public audiences. The candidate will also focus on independent research initiatives, positioning themselves as an emerging expert in perinatal psychometrics and mental health measurement.

Supervisors:

Dr Vicky Fallon - vfallon@liverpool.ac.uk

Professor Paul Christiansen - prc@liverpool.ac.uk

Dr Sergio Silverio - S.a.silverio@liverpool.ac.uk

To apply email your CV, cover letter, and project title to vfallon@liverpool.ac.uk