An international study exploring levels of postpartum depressive symptomatology

Objective: Differences in postpartum depressive symptomatology (PPDS) among an international sample of 892 women from nine countries representing five continents were explored. Method: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EP DS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used to assess PPDS among a co nvenience sample that completed the two questionnaires twice, yielding a to tal of four sets of scores per subject. Women sampled were primiparae with no obstetrical complications, and had a healthy baby. Depression history an d therapy were ruled out as exclusion criteria. Results: Mean scores for EP DS and BDI varied across sites at both time points (P value <.001). Europea n and Australian women had the lowest levels of PPDS, USA women fell at the midpoint, and women from Asia and South America had the highest depressive symptom scores. The moderate concordance between the EPDS and BDI suggeste d that the measures have complementary uses for screening and assessment. C onclusion: Utility of EPDS and BDI for yielding profiles of postpartum wome n's depressive symptomatology was demonstrated. Further research to validat e depressive symptom measures with diverse international populations is ind icated. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.