Implementation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a Midwest Primary Care Clinic

Author

Amanda LeeFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2020

Document Type

DNP Project

Project Team Faculty Member

Dr. Andrew Griffin

Project Team Faculty Member

Dr. Mary Barron

Keywords

postpartum depression, edinburg postnatal depression scale, primary care

Abstract

Recent data from the World Health Organization reveals that the prevalence of postpartum depression is about 13%. Research portrays that untreated postpartum depression can have a detrimental impact on maternal and child outcomes. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends integrating postpartum depression screening at the 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-month well-child visits. The purpose of this project was to increase early identification of women with postpartum depression (PPD) by increasing the frequency of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and evaluating the adherence of the recommended protocol at a Midwestern Primary Care clinic. The healthcare staff received training that included the clinical relevance of postpartum depression, the clinical validity of the Edinburg Postpartum Depression screening tool, and a protocol based on the recommendation of evidence based practice guidelines for routine postpartum screening. After the initial 8-week implementation period, data was collected and evaluated. There was a 56.5% increase in completed postpartum depression screenings and a 15.4% increase is in identifying mothers with postpartum depression. While the project led to individual practitioners adopting the protocol, further follow up is needed to evaluate the use of the evidence-based protocol as an organization.

Recommended Citation

Lee, Amanda, "Implementation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a Midwest Primary Care Clinic" (2020). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 112.
https://spark.siue.edu/dnpprojects/112

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