Enhancing Psychiatric Providers' Knowledge and Screening Practices for Perinatal Depression

Abstract

Background: Perinatal depression (PD) is a serious mental health condition that affects up to one in seven women during pregnancy or postpartum, yet it often goes undiagnosed and undertreated. If left untreated, PD can lead to significant health consequences for both mom and baby. Despite recommendations by various professional organizations, screening rates remain low. Although several screening tools exist, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is specifically designed for perinatal populations and has demonstrated strong predictive validity for identifying PD. Providers may benefit from increased knowledge about PD and how to administer the EPDS to promote routine screening to improve early identification, intervention, and patient outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to increase the knowledge, confidence, and comfort of psychiatric healthcare providers at Denova Collaborative Health regarding screening for perinatal depression. Further, this project evaluated the impact of the educational intervention on providers’ perceived benefit of the EPDS and intent to use the EPDS in practice. Methods: An asynchronous educational presentation with a pre- and posttest design was used. Psychiatric providers completed a pre-test survey to assess baseline knowledge and confidence about perinatal depression and the EPDS. The presentation provided healthcare providers with education about the significance of PD and the importance of using the EPDS among this patient population. A post-test survey evaluated changes in knowledge, confidence, perceived benefit, and intent to use the EPDS. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey responses, and free-text responses were summarized. Results: Six nurse practitioners (2%) completed all study activities and were included in the analysis. Participants demonstrated increased knowledge of PD, with mean scores rising from 52.4% to 85.7% after the intervention. Confidence in administering the EPDS increased from a median 5-point Likert score of 3.0 to 4.0, and the perceived benefit of the EPDS also increased from a median of 2.0 to 3.5. The intent to use the EPDS in future practice showed an overall positive trend, indicating plans for more consistent use among providers. Perceived barriers to consistent implementation of the EPDS included time constraints and tool complexity. Conclusions: This project suggests that a brief, asynchronous educational intervention may improve psychiatric providers’ knowledge, confidence, and attitudes toward using the EPDS for PD screening. Integrating targeted education and providing resources may help bridge existing gaps in screening and promote earlier identification and treatment of perinatal mental health conditions.