VALIDATION OF THE EDINBURGH POSTNATAL DEPRESSION SCALE ON A COHORT OFSOUTH-AFRICAN WOMEN

Postnatal depression occurs in 10 - 15% of women. The Edinburgh Postna tal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a 10-item self-report scale designed sp ecifically as a screening instrument for the postnatal period. It was initially validated for use in the UK, but has subsequently been valid ated for other communities. It has not been validated for an African c ommunity. Objective. To determine whether the EPDS is a valid screenin g scale for depression in a Johannesburg community cohort; Participant s and setting. 103 women attending the postnatal clinic at Coronation Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. Method. The EPDS was validated a gainst the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) criteria for dep ression. It was administered verbally to participants and translated i nto one of six South African languages where necessary. Results. A thr eshold of 11/12 on the EPDS identified 100% of women with major depres sion and 70.6% of women with minor depression. For major and minor dep ression combined, sensitivity was 80%, specificity 76.6%, positive pre dictive value 52.6% and negative predictive value 92.2%. Conclusion. T he EPDS, administered verbally is a valid screening instrument in this urban South African community.