Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale – EPDS
A 10-item self-report screening tool designed to detect symptoms of depression and anxiety in the antenatal and postnatal periods.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale – EPDS was developed by John Cox, Jeni Holden, Ruth Sagovsky (1987). It is designed to measure Perinatal depression and anxiety. The scale is intended for use with Pregnant and postpartum women, and fathers.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Depression, Anxiety.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Depression | 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10 | 8 |
| Anxiety | 4,5 | 2 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = 0 (e.g., As much as I always could / No, never), 1 = 1 (e.g., Not quite so much now / Not very often), 2 = 2 (e.g., Definitely not so much now / Yes, some of the time), 3 = 3 (e.g., Not at all / Yes, most of the time).
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 30. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low likelihood of depressive symptoms: 0 – 9
- Moderate likelihood of depressive symptoms: 10 – 12
- High likelihood of depressive symptoms: 13 – 30
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.87-0.88.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.