ABSTRACT
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