Table 1 Psychometric scales for screening of perinatal depression
Scale | Detail | Items | Response | Symptoms assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | A tool that assists health professionals in screen for depressive symptoms among postpartum women. It was developed in the UK by Cox et al., in 1987a. | 10 items | Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (all the time) | ∙ Mood reactivity ∙ Anhedonia ∙ Self-blame ∙ Anxious ∙ Feelings of panic ∙ Coping ability ∙ Difficulty in sleeping ∙ Feelings of sadness ∙ Crying episodes ∙ Self-harm |
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items | A tool for assessing major depressive disorder in primary care settings. It is based on the DSM-IV for diagnosis of major depressive disorderb. | 9 items | Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) | ∙ Anhedonia ∙ Low mood and hopelessness ∙ Insomnia or hypersomnia ∙ Fatigue ∙ Poor appetite or hyperphagia ∙ Poor self-esteem ∙ Lack of concentration ∙ Psychomotor retardation or agitation ∙ Suicidal ideation/self-harm |
Whooley questions | Two item screeners for perinatal depression recommended by the National Institute of Healthcare Excellence in the UK, for use in busier settingsc. | 2 items | Dichotomous (Yes/No) | ∙ Depressed/hopeless ∙ Anhedonia |