Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale with learning disabled mothers

Accurate identification of postnatal depression in mothers with a learning disability is essential if they are to be offered appropriate treatment and support. However, health visitors have raised concerns about the usefulness of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) with this group of women. In this small-scale study, mothers with a learning disability were asked to complete an EPDS and take part in a structured interview, which was designed to be more appropriate to their level of intellectual ability. The number of symptoms they described was compared with those observed by a significant other person in their lives. The simplified interview, using a visual scale to depict severity of symptoms, seemed to collect more accurate information than the EPDS, giving a higher correlation with observed symptoms. When compared with this interview, the EPDS scores appeared to overestimate symptoms or identify symptoms not observable by those close to the participants. Validation of this scale with a larger group of participants could be a useful development.