Title |
The Pregnancy Depression Scale (PDS): a screening tool for depression in pregnancy
|
---|---|
Published in |
Archives of Women's Mental Health, June 2008
|
DOI | 10.1007/s00737-008-0020-y |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Lori L. Altshuler, Lee S. Cohen, Allison F. Vitonis, Stephen V. Faraone, Bernard L. Harlow, Rita Suri, Richard Frieder, Zachary N. Stowe |
Abstract |
Depression in pregnancy can be underdiagnosed as a consequence of the symptoms being misattributed to "normal pregnancy." There are currently no validated clinician-rated scales that assess for depression specifically during pregnancy. We sought to develop a brief, convenient screening tool to identify depression in pregnant women in the community setting. Prospective mood data using the 28-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were collected monthly in 196 pregnant women with a history of a major depressive disorder. These data were analyzed to delineate those HDRS items associated (elevated) with normal pregnancy vs. those indicative of a pregnant woman meeting diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode. Endorsement of symptoms on seven items of the HDRS were highly predictive of having a major depressive episode during pregnancy. We present a well-validated, brief scale to screen pregnant women for clinical depression. Whether this study will generalize to women who do not have a history of major depression remains to be studied. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Spain | 1 | 1% |
Italy | 1 | 1% |
South Africa | 1 | 1% |
Australia | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 65 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 12 | 17% |
Other | 9 | 13% |
Professor | 6 | 9% |
Researcher | 6 | 9% |
Student > Bachelor | 6 | 9% |
Other | 18 | 26% |
Unknown | 12 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 21 | 30% |
Psychology | 18 | 26% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 5 | 7% |
Neuroscience | 4 | 6% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 2 | 3% |
Other | 6 | 9% |
Unknown | 13 | 19% |