Effectiveness of Postpartum Depression Screening Requires Further Consensus

Patients who receive screening for postpartum depression show some improved outcomes compared with patients who receive no screening, according to a new review from AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, but the overall effect of the improvement on long-term maternal and child outcomes is unclear. The potential effectiveness of screening appears to be related to the availability of systems to ensure adequate follow-up of women with positive results. Maternal postpartum depression has been associated with an increased risk of infant mortality, adverse effects on some measures of infant development, and increased health care resource utilization. Because the balance of benefits and harms is highly dependent on these characteristics, broad consensus on these characteristics is needed. Select to access the research review, Efficacy and Safety of Screening for Postpartum Depression.