Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

EPDS

health sciencespsychologyFree for research use

A 10-item self-report screen for depression during pregnancy and after childbirth, focused on mood symptoms rather than the somatic ones common in the perinatal period.

Items

Response format

4-point frequency scale (0-3)

Version

1.0

Ready-to-cite methods sentence

Perinatal depressive symptoms were screened with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; Cox et al., 1987), a 10-item measure with good internal consistency (α ≈ .87); a score of 13 or more indicates probable depression.

Citing this in a methods section? This scale spans more than one discipline, so the style depends on where you publish — see the APA 7 or Vancouver guides, or compare all six citation styles.

Reliability & validation

Validation population

Postnatal women (Cox et al., 1987)

Cronbach's α

0.87

Known limitations

A screening tool, not diagnostic; optimal cutoffs vary across cultures and languages. Item 10 asks about self-harm and should always be reviewed individually.

Original citation

Cox, J. L., Holden, J. M., Sagovsky, R. (1987). Detection of postnatal depression: Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150(6), 782-786.

https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.150.6.782

Questions researchers ask

What does the EPDS measure?

A 10-item self-report screen for depression during pregnancy and after childbirth, focused on mood symptoms rather than the somatic ones common in the perinatal period.

How many items does the EPDS have?

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) has 10 items.

Is the EPDS free to use?

The EPDS is free to use for non-commercial academic research. You don't need to pay a license fee, but you should always cite the original publication.

Is the EPDS reliable?

Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.87. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.

Who developed the EPDS, and how do I cite it?

Cox, J. L., Holden, J. M., Sagovsky, R. (1987). Detection of postnatal depression: Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150(6), 782-786. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.150.6.782

Reference only

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Library entry verified July 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.