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Are family physicians appropriately screening for postpartum depression?
Dean A Seehusen1, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Guy P Runkle
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia 30905, USA. dseehusen@msn.com
The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
|March 31, 2005
Summary
Family physicians often screen for postpartum depression (PPD), but validated tools are rarely used. Physician training and female sex significantly increase PPD screening frequency.
Area of Science:
- Family Medicine
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Postpartum depression (PPD) remains underdiagnosed despite available screening tools.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for maternal and infant well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the frequency of PPD screening by family physicians.
- To identify the screening methods utilized by family physicians.
- To determine factors influencing the frequency of PPD screening.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to members of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians.
- Data from 298 physicians who treated postpartum women and infants were analyzed.
- Logistic regression modeling identified factors associated with screening frequency.
Main Results:
- 70.2% of physicians screened for PPD at postpartum gynecologic exams; 46% screened at well-child visits.
- Only 30.6% used validated screening tools, with 18% using PPD-specific tools.
- Physician sex, residency training, medical literature exposure, and belief in screening's necessity correlated with higher screening frequency.
Conclusions:
- Family physicians acknowledge the seriousness of PPD but screening is not universal, and specific tools are infrequently used.
- Physician training and female sex are strongly linked to more frequent PPD screening.
- Further education and streamlined screening protocols may improve PPD detection rates.