What should be done about postnatal depression in Hong Kong?

Postnatal depression is one of the most common forms of psychiatric morbidity of child-bearing and causes a host of adverse psychosocial complications to the mother, the children, and the family. Recent studies have shown that 12% of local women have postnatal depression and most of them receive no meaningful medical attention. The validation of a local version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale has made systematic screening for postnatal depression feasible. However, such a screening programme should be backed up by well-resourced counselling and psychiatric services. Much remains to be done if a reasonable level of post-partum psychological care is to be provided. Additional funding is required to train nurse counsellors and set up postnatal mental health teams, as well as mother and child units.