The questionnaire below is called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. If you would like to fill it out, it will help you recognize some of the changes you may be experiencing. This questionnaire will not diagnose you, but you may want to speak with a health care provider about the results.

To maintain your confidentiality your answers to the questionnaire are not stored and will only be seen by you.

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

As you have recently had a baby, we would like to know how you are feeling. Please check the answer that comes closest to how you have felt IN THE PAST 7 DAYS, not just how you feel today.

Here is an example, already completed:

edinburgh_sample.jpg

This would mean: “I have felt happy most of the time” during the past week.  Please complete the other questions in the same way.

Please begin the Edinburgh Scale now.

In the past 7 days:

1) I have been able to see the funny side of things.
As much as I always could
Not quite so much now
Definitely not so much now
Not at all
2) I have looked forward to the enjoyment of things.
As much as I ever did
Rather less than I used to
Definitely less than I used to
Hardly at all
3) I have blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong.
Yes most of the time
Yes, some of the time
Not very often
No, Never
4) I have been anxious or worried for no good reason.
No, not at all
Hardly ever
Yes, Sometimes
Yes, Very often
5) I have felt scared or panicky for no good reason.
Yes, quite a lot
Yes, sometimes
No, not much 
No, not at all
6) Things have been getting on top of me.
Yes, Most of the time I haven't been able to cope at all
Yes, sometimes I haven't been coping as well as usual
No, Most of the time I have coped quite well
No, I have been coping as well as ever
7) I have felt so unhappy that I have had difficulty sleeping.
Yes, most of the time
Yes, sometimes
Not very often
No, not at all
8) I have felt sad or miserable.
Yes, most of the time
Yes, quite often
Not very often
No, not at all
9) I have been so unhappy that I have been crying.
Yes, most of the time
Yes, quite often
Only occasionally
No, never
10) The thought of hurting myself has occurred to me.
Yes, quite often
Sometimes
Hardly ever
Never

1 Source: Cox, J.L., Holden, J.M., and Sagovsky, R. 1987. Detection of postnatal depression: Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry 150:782-786.

2 Source: B. L. Parry, C. M. Piontek, Postpartum Depression N Engl J Med vol. 347, No 3, July 18, 2002, 194-199