Epds Calculator - Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

An EPDS calculator turns the 1987 Cox, Holden, and Sagovsky 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale into a 0 to 30 total, with the published Low, Possible depression, and Probable major depression bands and a separate item 10 self-harm red flag.

• • 6 to 8 week postpartum screen: score the ten items at the standard postpartum visit, read the 0 to 30 total, and document the band.
• • Pregnancy screen: use the form at the first prenatal visit and again in the third trimester, per ACOG 757 and the AAP.
• • Self-harm safety check: surface a Cox 1987 safety message whenever item 10 is above 0, independent of the total.
• • Repeat screening: re-take the form at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months postpartum to track change.

Most protocols schedule the first screen at 6 to 8 weeks after the delivery date that the Pregnancy Due Date Calculator estimates, so the same dating logic anchors the postpartum follow-up visit.

The calculator works in two passes. It scores each of the ten EPDS items on the published 0 to 3 scale, sums the ten contributions to a 0 to 30 total, and maps the total to the Low, Possible depression, or Probable major depression band from Cox 1987.

• q1, q2 - Positive feelings: laughter and enjoyment: 0 as much as always, 3 hardly at all.
• q3, q4 - Self-blame and anxiety: 0 no never / no not at all, 3 yes most of the time / yes very often.
• q5, q6 - Fear and overwhelmed: 0 no not at all / coping as well as ever, 3 yes quite a lot / not able to cope at all.
• q7-q9 - Sleep, sadness, crying: unhappy mood and tearfulness: 0 no not at all / no never, 3 yes most of the time.
• q10 - Self-harm: the thought of harming myself has occurred to me: 0 never, 3 yes quite often. Any value above 0 is a Cox 1987 clinical red flag.

According to Cox, Holden, Sagovsky 1987 Br J Psychiatry, the form is a 10-item self-report scale scored 0 to 3 per item with 0 meaning no symptom, summed to a 0 to 30 total where a higher total reflects more depressive symptoms, and validated at a 9.5 cutoff with 86% sensitivity and 78% specificity.

According to ACOG Committee Opinion 757 and AAP 2018, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is one of two recommended screening tools for postpartum depression, with a positive screen at a score of 10 or higher and a clinical evaluation indicated at a score of 13 or higher.

A 6 week postpartum check often pairs the screening with a pregnancy weight gain review, and the Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator returns the IOM 2009 trimester weight-gain bands from pre-pregnancy BMI for the prenatal visits that lead up to this screening.

Four concepts drive the result. Naming them keeps the total from being read as a single number.

Postpartum sleep loss and feeding pressure often amplify the EPDS items on sleep and being overwhelmed, and the Breastfeeding Calorie Calculator returns the postpartum calorie and protein target a clinician may review alongside this screen.

The form works from the published 1987 Cox scale. Each item is scored 0, 1, 2, or 3, and the form returns the 0 to 30 total, the band, and the item 10 safety check.

1. 1 Score the ten items: pick the 0, 1, 2, or 3 option for each statement based on how the past 7 days have felt.
2. 2 Read the 0 to 30 total: the form sums the ten contributions and returns a single 0 to 30 total.
3. 3 Check the Cox 1987 band: Low (0 to 9), Possible depression (10 to 12), or Probable major depression (13 to 30) per the published 1987 cutoffs.
4. 4 Check the item 10 safety message: if item 10 is above 0, the form raises the Cox 1987 safety flag and surfaces a clinician contact message, regardless of the total band.
5. 5 Bring the total to a clinician: share the total and the band with an OB-GYN, midwife, primary care provider, or mental health professional, especially if the total is 10 or higher or item 10 is above 0.

A postpartum EPDS screen with all ten items scored 1 returns a total of 10, lands in the Possible depression band, and surfaces the safety message because item 10 is above 0. The same scoring is what most postpartum depression protocols apply at 6 to 8 weeks after delivery.

Summing the total from the ten published 1987 Cox items has several practical benefits.

• • Cox 1987 0 to 30 total: the form returns a single 0 to 30 total from the ten items, matching the published 1987 Cox range.
• • Cox 1987 band with the total: the form returns the Low, Possible depression, or Probable major depression band alongside the 0 to 30 total.
• • Item 10 safety flag: the form checks item 10 separately and raises the Cox 1987 safety message whenever the response is above 0.
• • Suggested next step per band: the form returns a band-specific next step: re-screen at 6 to 8 weeks for Low, repeat screening and clinical discussion for Possible depression, and clinical evaluation for Probable major depression.

The same EPDS form works for a 6 to 8 week postpartum visit, a third-trimester pregnancy screen, and a teaching reference.

The maternal postpartum screen pairs with the Apgar Score Calculator, which returns the 1 and 5 minute newborn total from the delivery itself, giving clinicians a paired view across the perinatal course of care.

Several factors shape the result. The most important ones sit inside the entered form.

• • The form is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. A high total triggers a clinical evaluation, but the diagnosis is made by a clinician using a structured interview such as the SCID or a DSM-5-TR criteria check.
• • False positives are common in the first two weeks postpartum when baby blues overlap with postpartum depression. False negatives are possible when the person completing the form minimizes symptoms.

According to USPSTF 2019 Perinatal Depression Recommendation, the task force recommends that clinicians screen for depression in adults, including pregnant and postpartum women, and that they provide or refer persons at increased risk of perinatal depression to counseling interventions, with the EPDS being the most-studied screening tool in this population and a 10-or-higher score used as the positive screen cutoff in the included prevention trials.

Alcohol use and postpartum depression often co-occur, and the AUDIT-C Calculator returns the AUDIT-C 0 to 12 alcohol screening total from a similarly brief self-report, so both screens can fit into the same postpartum visit.