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Introduction

The Edinburgh scale asks about emotional experiences around the postnatal period, including enjoyment, self-blame, worry, sadness and feeling overwhelmed. Its 10 questions refer to the past seven days.

That time frame helps separate the recent experience from expectations about how parenthood should feel. Changes in support, feeding routines, rest and physical recovery are useful background for a conversation about mood. Difficult days and persistent patterns may need different kinds of support.

PHQ-9 asks about a broader set of depressive symptoms over two weeks. EPDS has a specific perinatal context, so the two forms should be compared by their questions and time frames rather than by their totals.

Instructions

Please select the answer that comes closest to how you have felt in the past 7 days.

Question 1 / 100 answered
I have been able to laugh and see the funny side of things.

Scoring and result metrics

The result page reports a local screening score for this questionnaire. Use the score range, any subscale scores, and the interpretation band together rather than treating one number as a diagnosis.

Score range
0-30
Items scored
10
Result indicators
Total score / Interpretation band when available

Score interpretation bands

  • 0-9Lower range

    Scores in the 0-9 range are generally not indicative of Depression

  • 10-30Possible depression range

    Scores in the 10-30 range may be indicative of Depression

Interpretation bands summarize screening thresholds from the questionnaire source material. Higher scores usually indicate more of the measured concern unless the tool notes a different scoring rule.

Tool information

Version
10 questions
Administration
Self-report
Intended audience
Pregnant and postpartum people reviewing mood, anxiety, and self-harm warning signs during the perinatal period

Sources

  1. Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R. (1987). Detection of postnatal depression. Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.
  2. JL Cox, JM Holden, R Sagovsky. Detection of Postnatal Depression: Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. 150: British Journal of Psychiatry 782-786. (1987).
  3. KL Wisner, BL Parry, CM Piontek. Postpartum Depression. 347(3): New England Journal of Medicine 194-199. (2002).

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