Maternal and Child Health

In New Jersey, between 11,000 and 16,000 women suffer from postpartum depression (PPD) each year.  While the signs and severity of symptoms vary, several screening tools have been developed to detect women at risk for this perinatal mood disorder.  Many hospitals in New Jersey use The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

Download the Edinburgh Scale [English] [Español]

Facts on the Edinburgh Scale:

• Developed in Scotland at health centers in Livingston and Edinburgh
• Focuses on the mother's feelings during the past seven days
• Consists of 10 short statements, which mothers can complete without difficulty in less than five minutes
• Has a maximum score of 30; a score of 10 or more may indicate possible depression of varying severity
• Validation studies show that for mothers who scored above threshold, 92.3 percent were likely to be suffering from a depressive illness of varying severity
• Should not override clinical judgment. A careful clinical assessment should be carried out to confirm the diagnosis
• Will not detect mothers with anxiety neuroses, phobias or personality disorder