Ten questions about how you have felt over the past 7 days, for pregnant women and women who gave birth within the last year. One question asks about thoughts of self-harm. You may stop at any time.
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale by Cox, Holden and Sagovsky (1987) is a ten-item screen for depression after childbirth that is also used during pregnancy. It covers mood, enjoyment, self-blame, anxiety, coping, sleep problems caused by unhappiness, crying and thoughts of self-harm.
How scoring works
Each question has its own four answers scored 0–3; questions 3 and 5–10 are scored in reverse order to how the answers are listed. The total is 0–30: 0–10 is below the threshold, 11–12 indicates possible depressive symptoms, 13–30 probable marked symptoms. Any answer above zero to question 10 shows a safety notice regardless of the total.
10answers
0–3points by key
0–30total score
Method and sources
The original publication, the meta-analysis behind the threshold of 11 and the Russian validation study are listed below.
During pregnancy and in the first year after birth, most often 6–8 weeks postpartum. It is reasonable to repeat it in two weeks if your mood is unstable.
Is a high score my fault?
No. Perinatal depression is common, is not a sign of being a bad mother and responds well to treatment and support.
