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- 2019
Using the EPDS to Identify Anxiety in Mothers of Infants on the Neonatal Intensive Care UnitKeywords: anxiety,Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale,screening,postnatal,neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) Abstract: Despite the prevalence of postpartum depression and anxiety, current screening recommendations are limited to depression symptoms. Screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale–Anxiety subscale (EPDS-A) may enhance ability to detect distress in postpartum women. We aimed to replicate the EPDS-A in 200 mothers with infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and examine its incremental utility in identifying emotional distress. Presence of the EPDS-A was identified using exploratory factor analysis. Women experiencing elevated anxiety were identified using a previously established cutoff score. Results replicated the EPDS-A for the first time in mothers with infants hospitalized in the NICU. In all, 21.9% of these women had elevated anxiety symptoms and nearly one quarter of them would have been missed in routine depression screening. Use of the EPDS-A, in addition to the total EPDS score, is a promising approach to identifying anxious women in need of further evaluation, treatment, or support
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