Interpreting the Results of the Maternal Mental Health Survey
Spring 2000

The "Maternal Mental Health Survey" was adapted, with very few changes, from the  "Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale."  This scale originally appeared in "Detection of postnatal depression: The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale," by JL Cox et al. (British Journal of Psychiatry 1987, vol. 150, pp. 782-786).

This 10-question, self-report scale has shown both reliability and validity. Each question on the survey allows responses that earn from zero to 3 points. Questions 3 and 5 through 10 are reverse scored. Points are totaled to give an overall score.

A score of 12-13 is considered to indicate depression.

Though "official" diagnosis of depression according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) requires the presence of five or more symptoms over a period of at least two weeks, clinicians should not let this stand in the way of providing appropriate treatment for women who are depressed. The patient and physician must determine together whether or not the patient’s symptoms are interfering with her ability to function. If this is the case, regardless of how many of the symptoms are present, treatment should be initiated.