🤰 Postpartum Depression Screening (Edinburgh Scale) Simulator

The Postpartum Visit & Screening Offer

New mother is offered EPDS screening at a routine checkup.

• 10: EPDS items (self-report questions)
• 0–30: Score range (total possible)
• ~5 min: Time to complete (typical duration)
• 6–8 wks: Recommended window (postpartum visit)

Why screen postpartum

Brief placeholder: postpartum depression is common and under-detected.

Who administers it

Brief placeholder: nurses, midwives, or OB staff hand out the form.

Setting expectations

Brief placeholder: screening is not a diagnosis, just a first step.

10-Item Self-Report Questionnaire

Each item scored 0–3 across mood, anxiety, guilt, sleep, self-harm.

• 4: Response options (per item, 0–3)
• 5+: Domains covered (mood, anxiety, guilt...)
• 3: Reverse-scored items (positively-worded)
• >50: Validated languages (translations)

Item structure

Brief placeholder: each item is a short statement rated by frequency.

Reverse scoring

Brief placeholder: positively-worded items score in reverse order.

Self-report format

Brief placeholder: mother selects the response closest to her past week.

Total Score Calculation

All ten item scores are summed into a total from 0 to 30.

• 30: Max total score (sum of items)
• <10: Low-risk cutoff (routine follow-up)
• 10–12: Possible-dep. band (reassess soon)
• ≥13: High-risk cutoff (clinical evaluation)

Summing the items

Brief placeholder: add all ten 0–3 item scores together.

Interpreting bands

Brief placeholder: score ranges map to escalating risk categories.

Limits of the total

Brief placeholder: total score alone can miss urgent single-item risk.

Item 10 — Self-Harm Thoughts

Any positive response to item 10 triggers immediate safety review.

• Self-harm: Item 10 topic (thoughts of harming self)
• Always: Override rule (regardless of total score)
• >0: Response triggering flag (any positive answer)
• Immediate: Action required (safety assessment)

Why item 10 is special

Brief placeholder: it screens directly for self-harm risk.

Independent trigger

Brief placeholder: positive answer overrides the total-score pathway.

Immediate response

Brief placeholder: staff conduct urgent safety assessment right away.

Score Interpretation & Follow-Up

Score and item-10 status together guide the recommended next step.

• Routine: Low risk action (standard follow-up)
• Reassess: Possible dep. action (in 2–4 weeks)
• Refer: High risk action (clinical evaluation)
• Urgent: Item 10 positive action (safety evaluation)

Combining signals

Brief placeholder: total score sets the baseline pathway.

Safety overrides all

Brief placeholder: item 10 positive always forces urgent review.

Next clinical steps

Brief placeholder: referral, reassessment, or routine care follows.

Outcome pathways by score & item 10