How Do I Know If I Have Postpartum Depression?
Despite the fact that postpartum depression has been known about for a long time, many experts believe it isn’t being properly diagnosed. As knowledge about postpartum depression grows, more health care professionals are looking for risk factors in their patients as early as their first prenatal care visit.
If a woman is at risk, their doctor can evaluate their moods throughout the pregnancy. After a woman gives birth, they and those close to them should watch for symptoms of depression. Their doctor should look for such signs at their 6-week postpartum visit, as well.
There’s no blood test or body scan that shows you have this mood disorder. Instead, your doctor will ask certain questions about your state of mind. The most common PPD screening tests are:
1- Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).
Many doctors think of this as the best way to check for PPD. It’s a list of 10 short statements. For each one, you’ll say how often you’ve felt that way in the past 7 days. They include things like “I have been anxious or worried for no good reason” and “The thought of harming myself has occurred to me.
2- Question Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2).
Although it’s short, this is thought to be a good first screen of women who may have PPD. You’ll be asked how often, over the past 2 weeks, you’ve felt little interest or pleasure in doing things or down, depressed, or helpless. You’ll have four answer choices that range from “Not at all” to “Nearly every day.”
3- Question Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).
If the PHQ-2 shows that you may be depressed, your doctor will ask about other symptoms, like sleep and appetite changes, trouble focusing and low energy. The more often you have them, the more likely it is you’re depressed.
