title: Identifying mothers with postpartum depression early: integrating perinatal mental health care into the obstetric setting.
abstract: With prevalence rates of postnatal depression (PND) as high as at least 7%, there was a need for early detection and intervention of postpartum mental illness amongst Singaporean mothers. This is a report on the first year results of our country's first PND Intervention Programme. The programme consists of two phases: (1) postpartum women were screened with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and provided appropriate care plans; (2) individualized clinical intervention using a case management multidisciplinary team model. Screening for PND was generally acceptable, as 64% eligible women participated voluntarily. Nine percent (126) were identified as probable cases from 1369 women. Forty-one women accepted intervention and achieved 78% reduction in the EPDS symptom scores to below the cutoff of 13, 76% had improvement in GAF functioning scores, and 68% had improved health quality scores. Preliminary results are promising, and this intervention model can be replicated.
authors.affiliation: Postnatal Depression Intervention Programme, Mental Wellness Service, Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jemie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying Chia
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ch'ng
authors.forename: Roshayati
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mingoo
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ong