Generating an efficient version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in an urban obstetrical population.
Postpartum depression incurs significant burden and suffering.



We investigated the latent structure of the most commonly used screening measure, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in women (N=15,172) and tested its predictive validity for the diagnosis of depression as determined with a structured clinical interview. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Receiver Operating Characteristic curves, and logistic regression analyses were conducted.



A seven-item one factor scale (items 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) emerged with a Goodness of Index Fit Index (GFI) =.96, relative to the ten-item two factor version of the EPDS (GFI =.94). The seven-item EPDS achieved good sensitivity and specificity in predicting the 10-item EPDS, with a cut point score of 4 on the seven item EPDS to predict a 10-item EPDS score of 10 or more (sensitivity =95%, specificity =91%). The seven and 10-item EPDS showed a similar ability to predict a diagnoses of depression (area under the ROC curve=.795 for the 10-item, .770 for the seven-item EPDS). Logistic regression analyses showed similar predictive ability between the seven- and 10-item scales in predicting scores higher than 18 on the clinical interview LIMITATIONS: The sample represents women from one Midwest medical center and the EPDS was measured via phone.



The seven-item one factor version of the EPDS is an efficient and effective measure of depression severity on par with the two factor 10-item version of the EPDS.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 North St Clair Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60611 USA. Electronic address: j-gollan@northwestern.edu.
Jackie K
JK
Gollan
Epidemiology Data Center, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 127 Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Electronic address: wisniew@edc.pitt.edu.
Stephen R
SR
Wisniewski
Epidemiology Data Center, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 127 Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Electronic address: luterhj@edc.pitt.edu.
James F
JF
Luther
Epidemiology Data Center, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 127 Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Electronic address: eng@edc.pitt.edu.
Heather F
HF
Eng
Epidemiology Data Center, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 127 Parran Hall, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. Electronic address: jldills@gmail.com.
John Louis
JL
Dills
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 North St Clair Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60611 USA. Electronic address: Dorothy.sit@northwestern.edu.
Dorothy
D
Sit
Department of Preventive Medicine-Biostatistics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 680 N Lake Shore Drive, Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60611 USA. Electronic address: jody.ciolino@northwestern.edu.
Jody D
JD
Ciolino
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 676 North St Clair Street, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60611 USA. Electronic address: Katherine.wisner@northwestern.edu.
Katherine L
KL
Wisner
D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012372:ROC Curve; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
Anxiety; Depression; EDPS; Factor structure; Pregnancy