Predictive accuracy of Edinburgh postnatal depression scale assessment during pregnancy for the risk of developing postpartum depressive symptoms: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) administered antenatally is accurate in predicting postpartum depressive symptoms, and whether a two-item EPDS has similar predictive accuracy. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Obstetric care in the Netherlands. Population: One thousand six hundred and twenty women from the general population. Methods: Mean values, area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of antenatal EPDS for the likelihood of developing postpartum depressive symptoms were calculated. Analyses were repeated for each trimester, several cut-off values and a tw..