Trajectory of Postpartum Depression Screening Scores

• Activity Number: 684
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Thursday, August 5, 2010 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistics in Epidemiology
• Author(s): Peter C. Wollan*+ and Barbara P. Yawn
• Companies: Olmsted Medical Center and Olmsted Medical Center
• Keywords: epidemiology ; longitudinal data analysis ; clinical trial

Abstract

In the TRIPPD study of screening and followup for postpartum depression, over 2000 women in 28 clinics in the US received the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen (EPDS) at three times: 5-12 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after the birth of their child. In this preliminary report, we examine the EPDS score over this one-year period. Initial scores at 5-12 weeks are not sufficient to identify all women at risk of depression. The rate of elevated EPDS scores at 5-12 weeks was 27%. While the marginal rates at 6 and 12 months were similar, (26% and 21%), 28% of the women who had low EPDS scores at 5-12 weeks had an elevated score at 6 or 12 months. In random effects models, EPDS score decreased over time. Risk factors for high EPDS scores included history of depression, low household income, other children in the household, not being employed outside the home, and geographic location.