Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is a 10-item self-report used in perinatal care. This page is for clinics evaluating the measure. It is not a public postnatal test.
Overview
What is the EPDS?
The EPDS asks about how a pregnant or postnatal person has felt in the past week. It is widely used as a perinatal screening aid. Item-level review, including any self-harm-related response, remains a clinician responsibility.
Development and clinical use
Cox, Holden and Sagovsky published the scale in 1987 for postnatal depression screening. It has since been used in pregnancy and postnatal services in many countries, with local cutoffs and translations that must be checked rather than assumed.
- Source instrument
- 10 self-report items
- Reference period
- Past 7 days
- Population
- Pregnancy and postnatal
- Respondent
- Patient self-report
- Item-level review
- Required
- Clinical role
- Screening support
Administration
A focused client experience
The person completes ten items about the past seven days. Results should reach a clinician who understands perinatal context, social support, and local safeguarding. Lirena does not provide urgent monitoring.
- One question at a time with visible progress
- Large keyboard-operable response choices
- Previous, next, and answer-review steps
- Clear confirmation that results go to the clinic
Choices are shown without reproducing EPDS wording.
Report showcase
Designed to make evidence easy to review
The downloadable synthetic example illustrates report layout using invented response patterns, without patient data or instrument questions.
- Named instrument, version, and provenance
- Item-level response pattern without source wording
- Methodology, references, and clinical boundary
- Responsible clinician review rather than automated conclusions
Clinician review required
Methodology
Understand the measure and its scoring conventions
Published scoring and suggested thresholds vary by setting and language. This page does not independently verify a cutoff. Use the official version, timing, and local protocol.
References
- Original EPDS paperCox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R. Detection of postnatal depression. Br J Psychiatry. 1987;150:782-786.
Questions
What clinics ask before they evaluate the EPDS
These answers stay inside educational catalogue scope. They do not replace official manuals or clinician judgement.
What is the EPDS used for?
It is a brief perinatal screening aid for depressive symptoms over the past week. A clinician still has to interpret the result in perinatal context.
Does EPDS diagnose postnatal depression?
No. It is a screen. Diagnosis, bonding concerns, and safety decisions remain clinical.
Can I complete EPDS here?
No. This is not a public test and not an urgent care service.
Do cutoffs transfer between countries?
Not automatically. Check the version, language, and local protocol rather than copying a number from another service.