Scale Overview
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was developed by Cox, J. L., Holden, J. M., and Sagovsky, R. (1987). It is designed to measure Postnatal and prenatal depression. The scale is intended for use with Pregnant and postpartum women.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 10 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Low symptom severity/frequency, 1 = Mild symptom severity/frequency, 2 = Moderate symptom severity/frequency, 3 = High symptom severity/frequency.
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 risk of depression: 0 – 12
- Likely suffering from a depressive illness of varying severity (high risk): 13 – 30
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.