A study published in The Annals of Family Medicine focused on The Validity of a 2 step screen and the PHQ-9.
The results found that the 2 step screen was sensitive and the PHQ-9 was highly specific towards identifying Postpartum Depression. Women completed screening at 0 months, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 9 months postpartum.
Now if only general family doctors and pediatricians would actually implement this and we could get a solid referral system together for the moms who screen positive for Postpartum Depression, we’d be much better off!