How to use it
- Think about how you have felt in the past 7 days.
- For each of the ten questions choose the answer that comes closest. The answers appear in the order of the printed questionnaire.
- Read the total, the reading and the separate line for question 10. Your answers never leave your browser.
How the score works
Each answer scores 0 to 3, so the total is 0 to 30. Questions 1, 2 and 4 score 0, 1, 2, 3 from the first answer to the last; questions 3 and 5–10 score 3, 2, 1, 0.
| Score | Usual reading |
|---|---|
| 0–9 | Depression unlikely |
| 10–12 | Possible depression |
| 13–30 | Likely depression |
Any answer above 0 on question 10 is flagged on its own, whatever the total.
Worked example
A mother answers “not quite so much now” (1), “rather less than I used to” (1), “yes, some of the time” (2), “yes, sometimes” (2), “no, not much” (1), “yes, sometimes I haven’t been coping as well as usual” (2), “not very often” (1) and the most positive answer on questions 8–10 (0). The total is 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 10, possible depression, and question 10 is “never”.
Tips
- Answer about the whole week, not just today.
- Tiredness and changed sleep are normal with a new baby; the questions focus on mood, enjoyment and worry for that reason.
- It is common to feel low or anxious in pregnancy and after birth, and help works. Share your result with your midwife, health visitor or doctor.
- This page is informational only and is not a diagnosis.
Source
Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R. Detection of postnatal depression: development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry. 1987;150:782–786.