Acceptability of Postnatal Depression Screening
Author Information
Author(s): Alan W Gemmill, Bronwyn Leigh, Jennifer Ericksen, Jeannette Milgrom
Primary Institution: Parent-Infant Research Institute, Department of Clinical & Health Psychology, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Austin Health
Hypothesis
This study aimed to measure the acceptability of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in a large community sample of postnatal women.
Conclusion
The EPDS had good acceptability among both depressed and non-depressed women, indicating strong support for universal screening.
Supporting Evidence
- 81.2% of respondents rated their comfort level as 'Comfortable' to 'Very Comfortable'.
- 97% of respondents felt that screening was desirable.
- Women with higher EPDS scores rated their experience as less comfortable.
Takeaway
Most new mothers felt comfortable answering questions about their feelings after having a baby, and they think it's a good idea to check for depression.
Methodology
A survey was conducted using mail, telephone, and face-to-face interviews with postnatal women to assess their comfort and opinions on the EPDS.
Potential Biases
Self-selection bias may have affected the results due to the response rate being just over 50%.
Limitations
The study only surveyed women who had been screened via Maternal & Child Health Nurses, limiting generalizability.
Participant Demographics
The average age of respondents was 30.02 years, and the average age of infants was 16.87 weeks.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI 54.5–62.0
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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