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Detecting postnatal depression in Chinese women

Validation of the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Dominic T. S. Lee ,
S. K. Yip ,
Helen F. K. Chiu ,
Tony Y. S. Leung ,
Kathy P. M. Chan ,
Irene O. L. Chau ,
Henry C. M. Leung  and
Tony K. H. Chung
Dominic T. S. Lee*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
S. K. Yip
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Helen F. K. Chiu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Tony Y. S. Leung
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Kathy P. M. Chan
Affiliation:
Kwai Chung Hospital, Hong Kong
Irene O. L. Chau
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Henry C. M. Leung
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
Tony K. H. Chung
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
*
Dr Dominic T. S. Lee, Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong. Fax: +852 2637 7884. E-mail: dominiclee@cuhk.edu.hk
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Abstract

Background

We evaluated the utility of the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and measured the prevalence of major depression six weeks after confinement among Chinese women in Hong Kong.

Method

A prospective cohort of 145 women completed the EPDS, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) six weeks after giving birth. They were then assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–III–R, non-patient version (SCID–NP) to establish psychiatric diagnosis. The criterion validity of EPDS was tested against this clinical diagnosis, and the concurrent validity against the GHQ and BDI scores was also evaluated. The internal consistency of the scales was measured by Cronbach's α coefficient.

Results

The Chinese EPDS had satisfactory psychometric properties and a cut-off score of 9/10 is recommended for screening depressive illness in a general postnatal population. At six weeks postpartum, 5.5% of the study population suffered from major depression.

Conclusions

The Chinese EPDS will be useful for screening for postnatal depression.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 172 , Issue 5 , May 1998 , pp. 433 - 437
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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