Perinatal Depression: Screening and Clinical Outcomes. The Italian Experience of a Inter-University Roman Group

Perinatal depression (PND) is a global epidemic with adverse life-long consequences for the mother, the partner and the offspring. Despite the high prevalence of PND most cases remain undetected leading to an increased burden of the disease. The need and the modality to perform screening programs in order to prevent and reduce the negative impact of PND are still a matter of controversy. International guidelines highlight the failure of the screening plans when they are not linked to treatment options. Moreover a growing number of researches have recently focused on perinatal anxiety disorders (PAD), either alone or associated with PND. Nevertheless the results of the studies concerning PAD are still inconsistent. The authors on behalf of a Inter-University Roman Group, present the protocol of a multicenter prospective clinical trial designed to find an answer to these issues. The sample of the study consisted of 434 pregnant women at the third trimester. All participants completed a clinical information sheet including sociodemographic, gynaecological, obstetrical, and psychiatric data. Screening for PND and PAD was performed using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). At baseline we also performed the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR), the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the Highs Questionnaire (HQ). After delivery EPDS was further administered by telephone at 1, 6 and 12 months. The study is currently ongoing and will be closed in three months. All data will be included in a prospective database and statistically analyzed. The final results will be available in the early 2016.