Public Health
Volume 123, Issue 12 , Pages 789-793 , December 2009

Comparison of scoring methods and thresholds of the General Health Questionnaire-12 with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in English women

  • N.J. Shelton

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London (UCL), 1–19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +44 (0)20 7679 5648; fax: +44 (0)20 7813 0242.
    • ,
  • K.G. Herrick

      Affiliations

    • Nutrition and Health Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA

Received 15 May 2009 ,Revised 8 September 2009 ,Accepted 22 September 2009.

References 

  1. MacArthur C, Lewis M, Knox E. Health after childbirth. London: HMSO; 1991;
  2. O'Hara MW, Swain AM. Rates and risk of postpartum depression – a meta-analysis. Int Rev Psychiatry. 1996;8:37–54
  3. Lee DTS, Yip SK, Chiu HFK, Leung TYS, Chan KPM, Chau IOL, et al. Detecting postnatal depression in Chinese women. Validation of the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Br J Psychiatry. 1998;172:433–437
  4. In:  Cox JL,  Holden JM editor. Perinatal psychiatry: use and misuse of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. London: Gaskell; 1994;
  5. Cox JL, Holden JM, Sagovsky R. Detection of postnatal depression development of the 10-item Edinburgh postnatal depression scale. BMJ. 1987;150:782–786
  6. Goodman JH. Paternal postpartum depression, its relationship to maternal postpartum depression, and implications for family health. J Adv Nurs. 2004;45:26–35
  7. Cooper PJ, Campbell EA, Day A, Kennerly H, Bond A. Non-psychotic psychiatric disorder after childbirth: a prospective study of prevalence, incidence, course and nature. Br J Psychiatry. 1988;152:799–806
  8. Goldberg D. Manual of the General Health Questionnaire. Windsor: NFER-Nelson; 1978;
  9. Goodchild ME, Duncan-Jones P. Chronicity and the General Health Questionnaire. Br J Psychiatry. 1985;46:55–61
  10. Goldberg DP, Williams P. The user's guide to the General Health Questionnaire. Windsor: NFER-Nelson; 1988;
  11. Nott PN, Cutts A. Validation of the 30-item General Health Questionnaire in postpartum women. Psychol Med. 1982;12:409–413
  12. Jacob S, Bhurgra D, Mann AH. The validation of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire among ethnic Indian women living in the United Kingdom. Psychol Med. 1997;27:1215–1217
  13. Romito P, Saurel-Cubizolles MJ, Lelong N. What makes new mothers unhappy: psychological distress one year after birth in Italy and France. Soc Sci Med. 1999;49:1651–1661
  14. Werneke U, Goldberg DP, Yalcin I, Ustün BT. The stability of the factor structure of the General Health Questionnaire. Psychol Med. 2000;30:823–829
  15. Lee DTS, Yip ASK, Chiu HFK, Leung TYS, Chung TKH. Screening for postnatal depression: are specific instruments mandatory?. J Affect Disord. 2001;63:233–238
  16. Martin CR, Jomeen J. Is the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) confounded by scoring methods during pregnancy and following birth?. J Reprod Infant Psychol. 2003;21:267–278
  17. Goldberg DP, Oldehinkel T, Ormel J. Why GHQ threshold varies from one place to another. Psychol Med. 1998;28:915–921
  18. Navarro P, Ascaso C, Garcia-Esteve L, Aguado J, Torres A, Martín-Santos R. Postnatal psychiatric morbidity: a validation study of the GHQ-12 and the EPDS as screening tools. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2007;29:1–7
  19. Cox JL, Chapman G, Murray D, Jones P. Validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale (EPDS) in non-postnatal women. J Affect Disord. 1996;39:185–189
  20. Murray D, Cox JL. Screening for depression during pregnancy with the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EPDS). J Reprod Infant Psychol. 1990;8:99–107
  21. Matthey S, Barnett B, Kavanagh DJ, Howie P. Validation of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for men, and comparison of item endorsement with their partners. J Affect Disord. 2001;64:175–184
  22. Madsen SA, Juhl T. Paternal depression in the postnatal period assessed with traditional and male depression scales. J Mens Health Gend. 2007;4:26–31
  23. Sproston K, Primatesta P. Health Survey for England 2002. Summary of key findings. Volume 1: The health of children and young people; Volume 2: Maternal and infant health; Volume 3: Methodology and documentation. London: The Stationery Office; 2003;
  24. Piccinelli M, Wilkinson G. Gender differences in depression. Critical review. Br J Psychiatry. 2000;111:486–492
  25. Politi PL, Piccinelli M, Wilkinson G. Reliability, validity and factor structure of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire among young males in Italy. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1994;90:432–437
  26. Statutory Instrument 1999, No. 3312 The Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations. The Stationery Office. London: 1999. Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19993312.htm; [accessed 22 October 2009]
  27. Committee on Medical Aspects of Food . Weaning and the weaning diet. Health and social subjects. London: HMSO; 1994;
  28. Lee TS, Yip ASK, Chiu HFK, Chung T. Screening for postnatal depression using the double-test strategy. Psychosom Med. 2000;62:258–263
  29. Boyd R, Le H, Somberg R. Review of screening instruments for postpartum depression. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2005;8:141–153

PII: S0033-3506(09)00267-4

doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2009.09.012

Public Health
Volume 123, Issue 12 , Pages 789-793 , December 2009

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution