Risk factors for postpartum depression: the role of the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R)

The aims of this study were to identify the frequency of the risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD) listed in the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R) during pregnancy and 1 month after delivery and to determine the predictive validity of the PDPI-R. The study used a prospective cohort design. Women completed the PDPI-R at the 3rd and the 8th months of pregnancy and at the 1st month after childbirth. Women were prospectively followed across three different time points during the postpartum using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders to determine the presence of major or minor depression. The prenatal version of the PDPI-R administered at two different time points during pregnancy predicted accurately 72.6% and 78.2% of PPD and the full version administered at the 1st month after delivery predicted 83.4% of PPD. The cutoffs identified were 3.5 for the prenatal version and 5.5 for the full version. The PDPI-R is a useful and a valid screening tool for PPD.