[Self-Test] Signs of Postpartum Depression (PPD)
Are you experiencing symptoms of postpartum (or peripartum) depression or anxiety? Take this self-test and share the results with your doctor.
WEBINAR REPLAY:
Watch “The Unspoken Truths of Postpartum Depression” with Dr. Jayne Singer.
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious but treatable condition that occurs during pregnancy or after childbirth. (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders uses the term “peripartum depression” in recognition that many pregnant individuals experience depressive symptoms prior to delivery.)
Postpartum depression is more than the “baby blues.” Along with typical symptoms of depression — from persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness to difficulty concentrating — postpartum depression may cause a parent to feel distant from their baby, to feel like a bad parent, to experience anxiousness (sometimes called postpartum anxiety), and to think about hurting themselves or their baby.1
About one in eight women experience symptoms of postpartum depression.2 Certain factors may increase risk for PPD, including a history of depressive disorders.3 Women with ADHD may be at greater risk for PPD. According to a 2023 study of more than 773,000 mothers with and without ADHD, about 17% of women with ADHD experienced PPD compared to 3.3% of women without ADHD.4 The same study found that about 25% of women with ADHD were diagnosed with anxiety disorders postpartum, compared to 4.61% of women without ADHD.4
Postpartum depression is treated with medications and/or psychotherapy. In August 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a pill for the treatment of postpartum depression that is the first of its kind.
If you are pregnant or a new parent, take this self-test to see if you may be experiencing symptoms of postpartum/peripartum depression and/or anxiety. Share the results with a licensed clinician and/or mental health professional.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, dial or text 988 to connect to a trained counselor from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger.
This self-test is based on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), and information on postpartum depression from the Office on Women’s Health. It is designed to screen for the possibility of postpartum/perinatal depression, and it is intended for personal use only. This test is not a diagnostic tool.
In the past two weeks…
Can’t see the self-test questions above? Click here to open this test in a new window.
Postpartum Depression: Next Steps
- Free Download: A Guide to Hormones & ADHD in Women
- Research: ADHD Increases Risk for Postpartum Depression, Anxiety
- Read: Bringing Up Baby — Motherhood with ADHD
View Article Sources
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Depression during and after pregnancy. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/features/maternal-depression/index.html
2 Bauman, B. L., Ko, J. Y., Cox, S., D’Angelo Mph, D. V., Warner, L., Folger, S., Tevendale, H. D., Coy, K. C., Harrison, L., & Barfield, W. D. (2020). Vital Signs: Postpartum depressive symptoms and provider discussions about perinatal depression – United States, 2018. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(19), 575–581. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6919a2
3 Hutchens, B. F., & Kearney, J. (2020). Risk Factors for Postpartum Depression: An Umbrella Review. Journal of midwifery & women’s health, 65(1), 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13067
4 Andersson, A., Garcia-Argibay, M., Viktorin, A., Ghirardi, A., Butwicka, A., Skoglund, C., Bang Madsen, K., D’onofrio, B.M., Lichtenstein, P., Tuvblad, C., and Larsson, H. (2023). Depression and Anxiety Disorders During the Postpartum Period in Women Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.069
