Edinburgh post-partum: understanding mood screening

The Edinburgh questionnaire asks about feelings and experiences such as sadness, worry, sleep, enjoyment, and coping during a recent period. It is designed to notice possible postnatal depression and anxiety, not to prove a diagnosis. Your answers are interpreted alongside your history, current circumstances, and a conversation with a clinician.

Low mood after birth can affect thoughts, energy, bonding, sleep, and daily activities. Low sex drive may also occur during recovery, hormonal change, stress, or emotional distress, and does not by itself establish depression.

Answer as honestly as you can, including symptoms you find embarrassing or difficult to explain. Tell the clinician if your mood is affecting eating, sleep, caring for yourself, or caring for your baby. Support may include listening care, practical help, talking therapy, medical treatment, and follow-up. Perinatal mental health support can be arranged even when a screening result is not clearly diagnostic.

Seek urgent help if you feel unable to keep yourself or your baby safe, have thoughts of suicide or harming someone, feel detached from reality, or hear or see things others do not. Tell a trusted person and contact emergency services or an urgent mental-health service immediately. Do not wait for another questionnaire.

Ask what your responses suggest, whether you need a fuller assessment, what support is available locally, how follow-up will work, and what to do if symptoms change between appointments.