If you have recently given birth to a baby, you may be experiencing some of the symptoms of postnatal depression. Most often, these are constant fatigue and guilt, self-doubt, depression, loss of enjoyment, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and obsessive thoughts. Postnatal depression does not necessarily occur immediately after a baby is born; it can start at any time during the first year after childbirth. According to various sources, 10 to 20% of all new mothers suffer from severe symptoms.
The scale was developed in Edinburgh in 1987 by Cox, Holden, and Sagovsky. According to the authors, all the questionnaires for diagnosing depression that existed at that time poorly suited young mothers, which served as the impetus for creating this test. Due to the ease of administration of results and high validity, EPDS is the most widely used tool in the world for identifying prenatal and postnatal depression today. The scale is still actively used in new research.
It is recommended to take this test at least twice: the first time, in the late pregnancy period, the second time, at 8-16 weeks after the baby is born.
Please note that you should answer each question as you have felt in the past seven days.