Using the internet to screen for postpartum depression

Abstract

Objective: To examine the feasibility of using the Internet to screen for postpartum depressive symptoms.

Methods: A total of 142 participants completed the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale on the Internet, and these findings were compared with those administered in-person by the authors of the PDSS (Beck and Gable) in recruitment sources, demographic characteristics, psychometric properties, and prevalence of significant postpartum depressive symptoms.

Results: Participants were more likely to be recruited through Internet websites than mailing sources in the Internet study, and participants in the in-person study were recruited through prenatal childbirth classes. A higher proportion of Hispanic and Asian women participated on the Internet compared to the in-person study. The PDSS had excellent internal consistencies and construct validity across Internet and in-person studies. The Internet sample also reported more risk for major postpartum depression (PPD) compared to the community sample (23% vs. 12%).

Conclusions: The Internet is a viable and feasible tool to screen for PPD. Implications for preventing and treating PPD on the Internet are discussed.