title: Mood and anxiety disorders in a sample of Canadian perinatal women referred for psychiatric care.
abstract: Perinatal depression currently receives considerable attention, but not all perinatal women presenting for psychiatric care are depressed. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is now routinely administered, but high scores are interpreted as evidence for depressive illness only. This study examined psychiatric diagnoses and mean EPDS scores among perinatal women at a tertiary center. Women accessing care between March 2006 and June 2008 completed a clinical diagnostic interview and the EPDS. Mean EPDS scores were calculated for each psychiatric diagnosis; sensitivity and specificity were calculated for major depressive episode (MDE) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The majority of the sample (N = 91), 49.5%, had GAD comorbid with MDE or another anxiety disorder, followed by MDE (38.5%) comorbid with an anxiety disorder. One third (29.7%) met criteria for MDE and GAD. Only 3.3% had MDE alone and 5.5% had GAD alone. Half the sample (50.5%) had more than one psychiatric disorder. Mean EPDS scores exceeded 11 for the majority of diagnostic groups. Sensitivity of the EPDS for MDE was 0.78 and 0.70 for GAD. Most women had an anxiety disorder and met criteria for more than one psychiatric disorder. Mean EPDS scores were consistently high. Sensitivity of the EPDS for MDE and GAD was comparable.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Life Stages, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Canada. sophie.grigoriadis@uhn.on.ca
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grigoriadis
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Camps Meschino
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barrons
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eady
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fishell
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mamisachvili
authors.forename: Greer Slyfield
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Keefe
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romans
authors.forename: Lori E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult