Postnatal depression - Diagnosing postnatal depression

If your GP suspects you have postnatal depression they'll ask you two screening questions.

These are:

During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?
During the past month, have you often taken little or no pleasure in doing things that normally make you happy?

It's possible you have postnatal depression if you answer yes to either of these questions. If you answer yes to both questions, it's likely you have postnatal depression.

If you answer yes to either of the above questions, your GP may also ask you whether you feel you need or want help.

Some mothers, particularly those without a partner or relative to help care for their baby, can be reluctant to answer these questions honestly. This is because they worry that being diagnosed with postnatal depression will mean they're seen as a bad mother and their baby may be taken into care.

However, it's important to realise there are often many different complicating factors associated with postnatal depression, and a baby will only be taken into care in the most exceptional of circumstances. One of the main goals of treating postnatal depression is to help you care for and bond with your baby.

Even if your symptoms of postnatal depression are so severe you require treatment at a mental health clinic, specialist mother and baby clinics are available.

Other tests

Sometimes, your GP may carry out blood tests to make sure there isn't a physical reason for symptoms like tiredness and low mood, such as an underactive thyroid gland or anaemia (lack of red blood cells which can lead to tiredness). These conditions often occur after having a baby.

Sometimes, your GP or health visitor may ask you to complete a questionnaire, such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (PDF, 136kb). This can help assess your situation by focusing on certain symptoms and difficulties commonly encountered in postnatal depression. It can also help to track your response to treatment as you get better.

Assessing the severity of postnatal depression

If your GP suspects postnatal depression, they'll want to know your symptoms so they can assess how severe it is.

They'll want to know if you have:

disturbed sleep
problems concentrating or making decisions
low self-confidence
a loss of appetite or increased appetite (comfort eating is often a symptom of depression)
been feeling anxious
been feeling tired, listless and reluctant to undertake physical activity
been feeling guilty or self-critical
been experiencing suicidal thoughts

Honesty is important when answering these questions because providing your GP with accurate information will ensure you receive appropriate treatment.

If you have three of the above symptoms, it's likely you have mild depression.

If you have five or six symptoms, it's likely you have moderate depression. People with moderate depression will have great difficulty carrying out normal activities.

The number of symptoms you have in total, and above all their severity and persistence, will help your doctor decide whether your depression is mild, moderate or severe.

If you have all of the above symptoms, it's likely you have severe depression. People with severe depression are unable to function at all, and almost always need help from a dedicated mental health team.

Blood test: During a blood test, a sample of blood is taken from a vein using a needle, so it can be examined in a laboratory.
Depressed: Depression is when you have feelings of extreme sadness, despair or inadequacy that last for a long time.
Thyroid: The thyroid is a jointed piece or cartilage that encloses the vocal cords and forms the Adam’s apple in men.