9-Esteem Patient Health Questionnaire

The 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is a scale used to identify depression. Postpartum depression affects about 22% of mothers in the first year following childbirth (Gjerdingen, et.al., 2009). Mood, pleasure, energy, concentration, self-worth and sleep can all be affected by depression. In postpartum depression, not only is the mother affected, but her relationship with her child and the child’s well-being may also be affected. The article, “Postpartum Depression Screening at Well-Child Visits: Validity of a 2-Question Screen and the PHQ-9”, investigated the validity and feasibility of the PHQ-9 scale to identify postpartum depression. The article was based on a study to screen for postpartum depression by using the PHQ-9.