1 in 5 women suffer from postpartum depression, yet many women wonder if they may be one of the ones going through it. For that reason, I wanted to provide you with a tool to help you determine if what you are feeling is postpartum depression.
The Edinburgh Scale is often used by providers to assess whether a woman might have postpartum depression.
Note: This screening is a guide and is not a means for diagnosing. If you have any concerns about your mental state, regardless of your score on this screening, it is important to meet with your healthcare provider or therapist. And of course, if at any time, you have thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby, call 9-1-1 immediately.
How to take the quiz
Find a quiet place where you can get about 5-10 minutes to think. Consider each of the 10 questions in terms of how you have felt in the past 7 days, rather than how you are feeling at the moment you are taking the quiz.
Click here to download or print the Edinburgh Scale. It might be a good idea to print the quiz, that way you can have a record of your answers should you decide to take it again later.
How to Score the Quiz
The Edinburgh Scale is a short 10-question screening with each possible multiple-choice answer giving a specific number of points. The point value is written in parentheses after the answer.
Once you have marked all of your selections, add up the points for each of your answers (It’s okay to use a calculator – baby brain is real!)
A score of 12 or higher means that postpartum depression is likely, and you should seek medical attention. It would also be a good idea to implement the lifestyle changes I outline in this article: Coping with Postpartum Depression during a Global Pandemic
