Healthy Start screens for depression among urban pregnant, postpartum and interconceptional women
Harrington, A.R.; Greene-Harrington, C.C.
Journal of the National Medical Association 99(3): 226-231
2007
ISSN/ISBN: 0027-9684 PMID: 17393946 Document Number: 610071
Objective: To examine perinotal depression in north and northeast Omaha, NE.Methods: The records of a sample of 119 randomly selected clients from Omaha Healthy Start (OHS) were reviewed. Three screening instruments were employed to identify women with depression: they were asked whether they were depressed (DQ); they received the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and/or the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).Results: The number of women with depressive symptoms identified by each technique varied from: DQ (16.8%), EPDS (16%) and BDI (7.6%). The three methods identified three subpopulations of women with different maternal and child health risk profiles reflected by their responses on an OHS-developed Maternal and Child Health Risk Assessment Tool (OHS MCH/RAT).Conclusion: In combination, these simple techniques identified depressed women with different risk profiles who would have been missed using a single approach exclusively.