Early Detection of Postpartum Depression: Screening in the First Two to Three Days

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that affects 10 to 15 percent of new mothers and can have a devastating effect on the mother and the development of her baby. Management of postpartum depression is a vital part of adequate medical care, but it often goes unrecognized in new mothers without a formal screening. Early formal screening for postpartum depression is not only best practice, but also highly feasible with a brief structured screening measure. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a 10-item, self-administered questionnaire that has been shown to predict scores at 4–6 weeks postpartum when administered 2-3 days postpartum. Given in this early interval after delivery, EPDS helps to predict postpartum depression, thus allowing the initiation of secondary prevention efforts that focus on reducing the prevalence as well as the duration of the condition. A multidisciplinary approach involving obstetricians, family doctors or pediatricians, and mental healthcare providers is recommended to maximize secondary prevention efforts and to minimize the negative impact of PPD. An Appendix lists regional resources that can help patients with this problem.