Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring
Learn to calculate the EPDS scoring and interpret your findings using this mini-guide!
Fact Checked by RJ Gumban.
What is the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)?
Before we discuss how to score the , let’s briefly discuss what the scale is first.
It’s possible for mothers to become depressed during their pregnancy and after giving birth. This is referred to by healthcare professionals as postpartum depression and is considered a common problem in childbearing.
The stress and fatigue associated with childbearing and (the thought of) adjusting to motherhood can harm a mother's mental health, leading to depression to varying degrees. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was developed to assess the severity of their (possible) depression after giving birth.
This scale comes in the form of a ten-item assessment. Each item has a statement that needs to be answered by a mother who just gave birth. Here are the statements that they need to answer:
- I have been able to laugh and see the funny side of things
- I have looked forward with enjoyment to things
- I have blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong
- I have been anxious or worried for no good reason
- I have felt scared and panicky for no perfect reason
- Things have been getting on top of me
- I have been so unhappy that I have had difficulty sleeping
- I have felt sad or miserable
- I have been so unhappy that I have been crying
- The thought of harming myself has occurred to me
Printable Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring
Download this Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring to effectively assess your patients.
How Do You Score the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)?
Each item has its own unique answer set. Mothers must pick one answer from each set based on their feelings for the last seven days before answering the scale. Each item can get a possible score of 0 to 3, and it will depend on their answer choice.
Items 1, 2, and 4 are scored 0 to 3. The answers are arranged as such:
- The first choice is worth 0 points
- The second choice is worth 1 point
- The third choice is worth 2 points
- The last choice is worth 3 points
Items 3 and 5 to 10 are scored 3 to 0, meaning they are reverse-scored. The answers are arranged as such:
- The first choice is worth 3 points
- The second choice is worth 2 points
- The third choice is worth 1 point
- The last choice is worth 0 points
You just have to add up all the scores. The possible maximum score that each patient can get is 30.
How Do You Interpret the Findings of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)?
Unlike other depression scales, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale doesn’t have several score ranges with designations. There are only two things you need to consider when interpreting the scores on the scale:
- A score of 10 to 30 means that the mother possibly has depression, so you will need to conduct a comprehensive examination of the mother to determine if they have depression or not and cross-check your findings with the most recent edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders before making a diagnosis.
- The last item deals with self-harm. If they tick the first or second answer choice, that’s a cause for concern. Even if the total score from Items 1 to 9 is 0, but they picked the first or second answer choice for Item 10, you must find a way to address their thoughts of self-harm.
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring Example:
Now that you know why the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was made, what it asks from mothers answering it, how the scores are calculated, and what to consider when interpreting the final score, here’s an example of a cheat sheet containing the scoring instructions:
If you have copies of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) but don’t have scoring instructions, you can download our free Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring PDT template! Or, you can download our free PDF template for the EPDS, which contains the scoring instructions!
Download this Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring Example:
%20Scoring.png)
What Are the Benefits of Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring Template?
This Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Scoring template that we created is helpful because:
- It clearly states which items have answer choices are arranged regularly based on the number of points each option is worth and which items have reverse-scoring
- It indicates the specific score range that suggests if a mother possibly has (postnatal) depression
- It also gives mental healthcare professionals something to consider beyond the score mentioned above range (Item 10)
This cheat sheet is great if your copies of the EPDS don’t have scoring instructions.
Commonly asked questions
Only healthcare professionals can score the EPDS, specifically the professional who administered the scale to mothers with potential postnatal depression.
It can help mental healthcare professionals make educated decisions when treating mothers with postnatal depression. They can tailor-fit a care plan for the mother based on her answers and other findings from other assessments, especially if Item 10 was ticked (the one about self-harm).
No. To ensure consistency, they must undergo a thorough examination that includes other depression-related assessments. The results must then be cross-checked with the most recent version of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for depression.
