title: Screening for postpartum depression in a pediatric emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to determine whether a 3-question version of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) performs as well as the full EPDS in screening for postpartum depression in a pediatric emergency department (PED).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers of infants younger than 6 months presenting to an urban PED were enrolled. After the PED encounter, mothers were asked about demographics, health problems, insurance status, social support, food and housing security, and 3 questions from the EPDS. Mothers then completed the full EPDS. The primary outcome was the score on the full EPDS. Agreement between the 3 questions and the full EPDS for screening positive was measured. Test performance characteristics for screening positive with the 3 questions were calculated. Logistic regression determined the association between sociodemographic characteristics and screening positive. Provider impression of maternal depressive symptoms was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 195 mothers enrolled, 23% screened positive using the EPDS; 34% screened positive using the 3 questions (κ = 0.74). Compared with the EPDS, sensitivity of the 3 questions was 100%. Number of children younger than 5 years at home and having food and housing concerns were associated with screening positive. Of 44 mothers who screened positive on the full EPDS, providers identified 14 (32%) as having depressive symptoms or possibly being depressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three questions from the EPDS performed similarly to the full EPDS in screening for postpartum depressive symptoms in a PED. Future studies are needed to confirm these findings and examine whether screening improves maternal and child health outcomes and quality-of-life concerns.
authors: Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors: Mary C
authors: MC
authors: Birmingham
authors: Katherine J
authors: KJ
authors: Chou
authors: Ellen F
authors: EF
authors: Crain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult