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