Psychometric Properties and Diagnostic Accuracy of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a Sample of Iranian Women

Background: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) has been used as a reliable screening tool for postpartum de-pression in many countries. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the EPDS in a sample of Iranian women. Methods: Using stratified sampling 262 postpartum women (2 weeks-3 months after delivery) were selected from urban and rural health center in the city of Isfahan. They were inter-viewed using EPDS and Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS). Data were assessed using factor analysis, diagnosis analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Cronbach's alpha and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The age of then participants ranged 18-45 years (26.6±5.1). Based on a cut-off point of>13 for HDRS, 18.3% of the participants. The overall reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of EPDS was 0.79. There was a significant correlation (r2=0.60, P value<0.01) between EPDS and HDRS. Two factor analysis showed that anhedonia and depression were two explanatory factors. At a cut-off point12 the sensitivity of the questionnaire was 78 % (95 % CI: 73%-83%) and its specificity was 75% (95 % CI: 72%-78%)