Validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for Use With Young Childbearing Women.

Abstract

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was created specifically to screen for perinatal depression. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the EPDS for use in a population of pregnant and postpartum 14- to 24-year-olds in Canada.

The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing was used as the psychometric framework to assess the validity, reliability, and acceptability of responses obtained using the EPDS with pregnant and postpartum adolescents and young adults.

There were 102 young women who were surveyed. Principal component analysis supported the EPDS as a 2-dimensional instrument. Test scores also showed the EPDS to be reliable and acceptable.

The EPDS was found to be a psychometrically sound tool for use in this population of young childbearing women.