Validation of the Lithuanian version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Depression is prevalent postpartum and is a major health problem. Objective. In this study, we aimed to evaluate how precise the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is in screening for depressive disorders postpartum. Materials and methods. A random sample of 94 women was interviewed two weeks postpartum using the Composite International Diagnostics Interview Short-Form (CIDI-SF). In addition, they filled in the EPDS. We evaluated (a) internal consistency of the EPDS by the means of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient; (b) area under the ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity of the EPDS against the CIDI-SF diagnoses of depressive disorders. Results. The internal consistency of the EPDS was 0.83. The optimal cutoff score of the EPDS for screening CIDI-SF diagnoses of depressive disorders was found to be 7 and more with an area under the ROC curve of 0.83, sensitivity of 92%, and specificity of 73%. Conclusions. The EPDS has a good reliability as a screening instrument, and a cutoff score of 7 and more has to be used in screening for postpartum depressive disorders.