Utility of the edinburgh postnatal depression scale for identifying prenatal psychological distress in black women

Abstract

Exposure to stress during pregnancy, including depression, is a significant concern due to its harmful effects on maternal health and infant developmental outcomes. Black populations face other stress-related experiences that contribute to risk factors in pregnancy outcomes in addition to depression. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is one of many screeners of perinatal depression and its use is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. However, screening pregnant women for depression has been deployed without a comprehensive examination of its utility for capturing an individual’s stress.