Self-Rating Assessment of Postnatal Depression: A Comparison of the Beck Depression Inventory and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Two self-report rating scales of depression, the Beck Depression Inventory
and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, were administered simultaneously to a large sample of new
mothers at two and six months postpartum. Scores computed as continuous variables yielded high correlation
coefficients at both moments of measure. Classification of subjects on the basis of recommended cutoff points
yielded identical frequencies and defined similar patterns of onset and recovery, but showed a high degree of
discrepancy between the two scales in the identification of dysphoric individuals. A preliminary examination of
this low concordance revealed distinct response patterns belonging to divergent subgroups, suggesting that the
two instruments are differently attuned to the various aspects of postnatal depression presentation. The recent
resurgence of interest in mild to moderate postpartum depression has intensified the need to confront the
methodological issues that plague the field of postnatal research. Assessment strategies for the screening of
postpartum depression have been so diverse and inconsistent as to hamper the meaningful comparison of
studies, hence compromising the development of a cumulative body of knowledge. The lack of consensus
regarding the definition of postnatal disorders has translated into widely varying experimental designs, with the
use of different measurement methods mirroring the absence of conceptual agreement. Main differences
concern the type and number of instruments (clinician vs self-report scales, single vs multiple assessment
strategies), selection of cutoff scores and definition of measurement period.