Edinburgh Perinatal/Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)

If you are pregnant: Gestation in weeks:
Or: postpartum weeks:

As you are having a baby, we would like to know how you are feeling. Please mark in the box next to the answer which comes closest to how you have felt in the past 7 days not just how you feel today.

In the past 7 days:

1. I have been able to laugh and see the funny side of things:

As much as I always could

Not quite so much now

Definitely not so much now

Not at all

2. I have looked forward with enjoyment to things:

As much as I ever did

Rather less than I used to

Definitely less than I used to

Hardly at all

3. I have blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong

Yes, most of the time

Yes, some of the time

Not very often

No, never

4. I have been anxious or worried for no good reason

No, not at all

Hardly ever

Yes, sometimes

Yes, very often

5. I have felt scared or panicky for no very good reason

Yes, quite a lot

Yes, sometimes

No, not much

No, not at all

6. Things have been getting on top of me:

Yes, most of the time I haven't been able to cope

Yes, sometimes I haven’t been coping as well as usual

No, most of the time I have coped quite well

No, I have been coping as well as ever

7. I have been so unhappy that I have had difficulty sleeping:

Yes, most of the time

Yes, sometimes

Not very often

No, not at all

8. I have felt sad or miserable:

Yes, most of the time

Yes, quite often

Not very often

No, not at all

9. I have been so unhappy that I have been crying:

Yes, most of the time

Yes, quite often

Only occasionally

No, never

10. The though of harming myself has ocurred to me:

Yes, quite often

Sometimes

Hardly ever

Never

Result:

© The Royal College of Psychiatrists 1987. Translated from Cox,JL, Holden JM & Sagovsky R. (1987). Detection of postnatal depression. Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry. 150, 782-786.
Reprinted with permission