Development of Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS): a Thai version for screening postpartum depression

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health

Background:

• Postpartum depression is a significant concern affecting maternal mental health.
• A validated screening tool is crucial for early detection and intervention in the postpartum period.
• The need for a culturally adapted and validated screening instrument for the Thai population was identified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate a Thai version of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS).
• To assess the reliability and diagnostic accuracy of the PDSS for screening postpartum depressive disorders in the Songkhla Thai population.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort of 400 postpartum women was recruited.
• A Thai version of the PDSS was developed using back-translation and pre-testing.
• Diagnosis of postpartum depression was confirmed using DSM-IV criteria.

Main Results:

• The Thai PDSS demonstrated high internal consistency with an alpha reliability of 0.9.
• Recommended cut-off scores were established: 51 for major or minor depressive disorders and 90 for major depressive disorder.
• The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.8 for major/minor disorders and 0.9 for major depressive disorder, indicating good diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The validated Thai version of the PDSS is a reliable and beneficial instrument for screening postpartum depression.
• This tool addresses the lack of previously validated Thai screening instruments for postpartum depression.
• The PDSS can aid in the early identification and management of postpartum depressive disorders in Thai women.