Which screening tool is mentioned for postpartum depression?

• A. Beck Depression Inventory.
• B. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression.
• C. Geriatric Depression Scale.
• D. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

Answer: (D)

Postpartum depression screening relies on measures designed specifically for the perinatal period. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is the instrument most commonly cited for this purpose because it was developed to identify depressive symptoms in the weeks and months after birth. It’s a brief, self-report questionnaire (10 items) that is quick to administer in primary care, obstetric, or pediatric settings and has been validated in diverse populations. Importantly, it signals whether someone may need a more thorough diagnostic evaluation, rather than providing a diagnosis itself.

Other scales like the Beck Depression Inventory are general depression measures not tailored to the postpartum context, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale is a clinician-rated tool focused on severity and not specific to postpartum issues, and the Geriatric Depression Scale targets older adults.