Screening practices for postpartum depression among various health care providers

To assess the frequency with which health care providers screen for postpartum depression (PPD), assess attitudes towards routine screening and identify barriers to screening.

Eighty-two providers (recruited via electronic mailing lists, postal mailings and colleague referrals) completed a survey designed for this study.

Sixty-one percent of participants endorsed routine screening for PPD. Differences in frequency of screening among obstetricians, nurses and midwives were not detected. Only 17% of participants reported using a screening instrument; 74% of participants favored a clinical interview, which did not necessarily correspond to DSM criteria for depression. Of participants who do not routinely screen all patients, 15% report intending to screen, but are sometimes unable to complete screening due to a lack of time or other reason. Mean self-reported knowledge of PPD did not differ among those participants who endorsed routine screening versus those who did not.

Many providers from the current sample report screening for PPD; sometimes screening efforts may be incomplete and there are identified barriers to screening. Implications for clinical practice remain unclear. While a number of effective screening instruments exist, additional research is needed to evaluate where screening should occur and how to manage positive screens.