Screening tool may help diagnose mental disorders in early pregnancy

A recent study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica found that questions typically asked to new mothers to screen for depression after giving birth can also help to detect depressive symptoms and other mental disorders during early pregnancy.

The questions are part of what's called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. In the study of 2,271 women, 85% of women with a score of 13 or higher had one or more mental disorders or risk factors for mental disorders during early pregnancy.

"The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale seems to be a valuable screening tool to detect depressive symptoms as well as other mental disorders during early pregnancy," the authors wrote.