Improving Postpartum Depression Screening in Pediatric Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Medicine
• Mental Health Screening

Background:

• Postpartum depression (PPD) screening is recommended in pediatric primary care, yet implementation remains low.
• Few pediatric healthcare providers adequately screen mothers for PPD.
• This highlights a gap in maternal mental health support within pediatric settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance standardized postpartum depression screening in pediatric primary care.
• To investigate associations between infant/family characteristics and positive PPD screens.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project implemented a standardized PPD screening tool in pediatric primary care.
• Data analysis utilized independent samples t-tests and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Screening practices improved from 83% to 88% (p=0.096).
• Male infant gender, Medicaid/sliding-scale payment, and Hispanic ethnicity showed non-significant associations with higher PPD screen rates.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric providers can effectively implement PPD screening.
• Specific infant and family characteristics may signal increased risk for maternal PPD.