Screening for Postpartum Depression using Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale

Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a non-psychotic depressive episode within one year post-delivery. If left untreated PPD can lead to chronic depression, neglect, substance abuse, or suicidal ideation. It is common and often undiagnosed complication of childbirth because routine screening is not standard during postnatal care. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used screening tool recommended for early detection. This study assesses the prevalence of PPD and its association with socio-demographic, obstetric, perinatal, and psychiatric factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital after ethical approval. A total of 167 postpartum women (6–10 weeks post-delivery) were recruited via simple random sampling. Data were collected through structured interviews from June to November 2022 using a Nepali-translated EPDS (PPD cutoff: ?13). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with chi-square tests (p<0.05).
Results: PPD prevalence was 17.4% (29/167). Significant associations were found with mode of delivery (p=0.031), neonatal ICU admission (p=0.021), past psychiatric history (p=0.000), and family psychiatric history (p=0.000). No significant associations were noted for age, education, employment, parity, or maternal complications. The odds ratio of PPD were 2.8 times higher in mothers who had their newborn admitted to neonatal ICU- and 14.8 times higher in those with a psychiatric history in family.
Conclusions: PPD remains a significant concern despite a lower prevalence than regional studies. Routine EPDS screening should be integrated into postpartum care for early detection.
Keywords: Depression; edinburg postnatal depression scale; postpartum; pregnancy; screening.