Outcome of Postnatal Depression Screening Using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of postnatal depression screening by comparing the mental health outcome (at 6 months postpartum) of mothers under the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screening programme versus usual clinical practice (usual practice), using randomized controlled trial design. With the use of the EPDS for the screening of postnatal depression, it is expected that more mothers in need of intervention (including mental health intervention, guidance in childcare and parenting, counseling in family relationships, etc) will be picked up and offered appropriate intervention, compared to the usual practice. It is hypothesized that the mental health of the group of women under the EPDS screening programme will be better than those under the usual practice, on subsequent follow-up.