Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen | Simple Score Check

The edinburgh postnatal depression screen, often called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), is a short paper or digital form that helps maternity and primary care teams notice low mood, worry, and thoughts of self-harm during pregnancy and after birth. It does not replace a full assessment or a conversation with a doctor, midwife, nurse, or mental health clinician, but it gives a clear, shared starting point for that talk.

What Is The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen?

The EPDS was first developed in Scotland in the late 1980s as a simple tool to spot possible postnatal depression in mothers. Over time it has been translated into many languages and is now used around the world with both pregnant and postpartum parents. The questions ask how someone has felt over the past seven days, which keeps the focus on recent mood rather than distant memories.

The questionnaire has ten items, each with four response options scored from 0 to 3. Some items are written so that a higher score matches stronger symptoms, while others are scored in reverse. When the answers are added together, the total sits between 0 and 30. Higher scores suggest more distress, though exact cut-offs vary between countries and health services.

Core Areas Covered By The EPDS

Although the EPDS is brief, the questions touch on several different parts of emotional life and daily functioning. The table below groups these themes in plain language so you have a sense of what it looks at before you see the form in clinic.

Question Theme	What It Asks About	Possible Concern
Enjoyment	Loss of pleasure in things that usually feel pleasant.	May hint at anhedonia, a common feature of depression.
Looking Forward	Whether you still look ahead to plans or activities with interest.	Low interest can point to low mood or burnout.
Self-Blame	How often you blame yourself when things go wrong with the baby or at home.	High self-blame can reflect harsh inner criticism.
Worry And Tension	How tense, panicky, or constantly on edge you feel.	May point to anxiety that sits alongside low mood.
Feeling Overwhelmed	Whether ordinary tasks feel hard to manage.	Strain with small tasks can suggest reduced coping capacity.
Sleep Disruption	Sleep that is disturbed by worry and low mood rather than the baby alone.	Shows how mood symptoms spill over into rest and recovery.
Sadness	How often you feel low or miserable without much relief.	Frequent low mood can indicate depression.
Crying	How easily you cry and whether tears feel out of proportion to events.	Can hint at emotional strain that is not settling.
Thoughts Of Self-Harm	Any thoughts about hurting yourself.	Always treated as a red flag that needs urgent care.

Edinburgh Postnatal Screening Tool In Everyday Practice

Health services use the EPDS in many settings because it is short, free to use, and backed by a solid research base. Large reviews have found that the scale can pick up many cases of major depression during pregnancy and after birth when suitable cut-off scores are chosen.

Professional groups encourage perinatal mood screening more than once, such as early in pregnancy, later in pregnancy, and at one or more visits after birth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, for example, recommends repeated screening for perinatal depression and anxiety across the antenatal and postnatal period so that changes over time are less likely to slip through.

Screening During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the EPDS is often handed out at the first antenatal visit and again in the second or third trimester. Some services repeat the questionnaire when a score falls in a mild range to see whether mood improves or worsens over a few weeks. In many guidelines, a total around 13 points or more is treated as a sign that a fuller assessment is needed, while scores between 10 and 12 may be watched and repeated later.

Because the questions ask about the past week, a sharp but short spell of stress from a specific event can push the score up, then it may drop as life settles again. That is one reason the score is always read alongside a short, honest conversation about what life has been like recently, rather than being treated as a verdict on its own.

Screening After Birth

After delivery, many clinics carry out the first EPDS around six to twelve weeks, then repeat it at later pediatric or postnatal visits. Postnatal depression affects roughly one in ten parents, and screening gives those parents a better chance of being noticed early rather than struggling in silence.

Parents may be asked to repeat the questionnaire if scores rise over time or if someone on the care team notices that daily life seems harder. In some places, the same form is offered to partners as well as birth mothers. That approach sends a clear message: any parent can struggle, and low mood says nothing about love for the baby or personal strength.

How The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen Is Scored

Each of the ten items scores from 0 to 3, so the total can fall anywhere between 0 and 30. Questions about pleasure, sadness, and crying tend to give higher scores when someone feels worse, while items marked on some versions of the form are reverse scored so that the final total lines up with symptom strength.

Health services set their own cut-offs, often guided by validation studies in their local population. Many use a threshold around 13 points to flag likely depression that needs more detailed assessment, with 10 to 12 points suggesting milder symptoms that may still affect daily life. Item 10, which asks about self-harm thoughts, is treated as urgent at any non-zero score, even when the total is below the main cut-off.

Some research teams and guideline bodies also treat the EPDS as more than a simple yes-or-no screener. They look at patterns within the ten items, such as how much of the score comes from anxiety-style questions compared with classic low mood, and then use that pattern to guide treatment plans and track change over time.

Typical Score Ranges And What They Can Mean

The ranges below show common ways that services group EPDS totals. Exact thresholds and follow-up actions differ by country, health system, and individual clinician judgment, so this table is only a broad illustration rather than a tool for self-diagnosis.

EPDS Score Range	What It May Suggest	Usual Next Step
0–9	Few depressive symptoms, though tiredness or worry can still be present.	Routine antenatal or postnatal care, with screening repeated later if needed.
10–12	Mild symptoms that might ease or might build over time.	Repeat the EPDS in 2–4 weeks and talk more about mood and daily life.
13–14	Probable depression or anxiety that affects home life and bonding.	Arrange a full mental health assessment and discuss care options.
15–19	Marked symptoms, often with strong sadness, worry, or loss of pleasure.	Timely referral to a perinatal mental health team or similar service.
20–30	Severe distress and very limited emotional reserve.	Urgent specialist assessment; crisis care if there are any safety concerns.
Any score with item 10 > 0	Thoughts of self-harm, even if they feel fleeting or vague.	Immediate safety check and same-day contact with a clinician.

What To Expect When You Fill Out The EPDS Questionnaire

In many clinics, a nurse or midwife hands you the form in the waiting room or at the start of the visit. Completing it usually takes less than five minutes. You are asked to tick the response that best matches how you have felt during the past week, not how you think you should feel or how you hope to feel later on.

The language on the form can feel quite direct, especially when it asks about hopelessness or self-harm. That clear wording is deliberate, because it makes it easier to share feelings that many people struggle to say out loud. If you feel unsure about a question, you can ask a staff member to explain the wording before you answer.

Clinics sometimes label the form as an edinburgh postnatal depression screen, edinburgh postnatal depression scale, or simply EPDS. All of these names refer to the same ten-item questionnaire. Translated versions are available in many languages so that more parents can answer in the language that feels most natural, which usually makes the score more accurate.

How Results Are Usually Shared

Once you have completed the form, a member of the team adds up the score and notes any answer that suggests self-harm or strong distress. The clinician then talks through the result with you, placing the score alongside what else is happening in your life. Sleep loss from feeding, money worries, a baby’s health problems, or a history of depression can all affect mood and shape what kind of help feels realistic right now.

If your score is low, the clinician may still ask a few questions about mood and coping, then continue with routine antenatal or postnatal care. If your score is moderate, you might be offered another appointment, brief therapy, self-help materials, or local peer groups. When scores are high or when there is any concern about safety, more urgent options come into play, such as same-day review by a perinatal mental health team, a psychiatrist, or crisis services.

Limits Of The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen

Like any short questionnaire, the EPDS cannot capture every detail of a person’s emotional life. Some people with low scores still feel very distressed, while others with high scores may bounce back once a specific stress eases. Reading the total in isolation can lead to over-reassurance or unnecessary alarm, so the number always needs to sit alongside a wider conversation.

Results can also differ across backgrounds, languages, and family situations. A parent who finds it hard to trust services might under-report symptoms, while another person may circle higher options because they answer in a very open way. People who already receive care for depression may show higher scores even when that care is going well. Guidance from bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence treats the EPDS as one part of a broader assessment, not a stand-alone verdict, and that approach helps keep these limits in mind.

Using Your EPDS Result To Seek Help

If your score is at the higher end, or if any question brings up worry about your safety or your baby’s safety, it is worth speaking openly with your care team. You can start by saying which questions felt most familiar or most upsetting, then describe how long those feelings have been present. Bringing a partner, trusted friend, or family member to the visit can make the talk easier, especially if they have also noticed changes in your mood or energy.

Depending on your location, your clinician may suggest talking therapies, peer groups, practical help at home, medication, or a mix of these approaches. Many national services outline treatment options for postnatal depression, including step-by-step advice on when to involve specialist perinatal teams and when to think about hospital care. Resources such as the
NHS overview of postnatal depression
and professional
guidance on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
give more detail about local pathways and are often used by clinicians when shaping care plans.

If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, including brief thoughts that scare you, treat that as an emergency. Call your local emergency number, contact an urgent mental health line, or go to the nearest emergency department. Many countries also have national suicide and crisis lines that run every day and every night; perinatal mental health charities and professional bodies list current phone and text services for your region.

The EPDS does not judge you as a parent. It is one tool that helps health staff notice distress early and offer care that fits your life. Honest answers give the clearest picture, and with the right follow-up, many parents who screen positive go on to feel better and regain confidence in themselves and their bond with their baby.