Assessing psychopathology in pregnancy and postpartum

Abstract

This paper evaluates questionnaire measures of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder for use with pregnant and postpartum women. For each area of measurement the main issues or problems are delineated, two appropriate measures are described and the validity and reliability of the measures are discussed, as well as the problems and benefits of using the measures with pregnant or postpartum women. Finally, norms are provided for female and obstetric samples, where available. It is hoped that this paper will provide a valuable resource for future research into psychopathology in pregnant and postpartum women.

Key Words:

• questionnaire
• psychopathology
• pregnancy
• postpartum
• norms