Validation of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale in a Population of Adult Pregnant Women in Mexico

BACKGROUND: The Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) is useful for screening depression in puerperal women as well as women during pregnancy. However, such instrument should be validated in a given language before it can be used. There is not validated Mexican version of the EPDS for use in adult pregnant women. Therefore, we sought to validate a Spanish translated Mexican version of the EPDS in a population of adult pregnant women. METHODS: One hundred fifty-eight adult women (mean age: 28 ± 6.8 years; range: 18 - 45 years) within their 2 - 9 months of pregnancy attending routine prenatal consultations in a public hospital in Durango City, Mexico were studied. All pregnant women submitted a Spanish translated Mexican version of the EPDS. In addition, participants were assessed for major and minor depression by using the DSM-IV criteria. RESULTS: Of the 158 pregnant women studied, 11 had major depression and 26 had minor depression by the DSM-IV criteria. The best EPDS score for screening combined major and minor depression in adult pregnant women was 9/10. This threshold showed a sensitivity of 75.7%, a specificity of 74.4%, a positive predictive value of 50.8%, a negative predictive value of 94.7% and an area under the curve of 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.71 - 1.06). CONCLUSION: The Mexican version of the EPDS can be considered for screening depression in Mexican adult pregnant women whenever a cut-off score of 9/10 is used.