Perinatal depression screening

Parental mental health and perinatal depression are adverse childhood experiences that can pose long-term health complications and concerns for the primary caregiver (birth parent, foster/kindship caregiver) the caregiver partner (if applicable), and especially for the infant (early brain development). Perinatal depression and other mental health concerns are often undiagnosed and untreated.

There is a spectrum of depressive and anxiety symptoms occurring during pregnancy for birth parents and primary caregivers within the first year after childbirth. Universal screening for postpartum depression is recommended at 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-months visits.

The following are commonly used screening tools for perinatal depression that can be used or adapted by the practice:

• Getting Started: Implementing a Screening Process for perinatal depression screening
• Integrating Postpartum Depression Screening in Your Practice in 4 Steps
• Postpartum depression and anxiety: How to start the conversation
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (NOTE: Contact the Royal College of Psychiatrists)
• Patient Health Questionnaire (2-item) (PHQ-2)
• Patient Health Questionnaire (9-item) (PHQ-9)
• The Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC)