Important alert on postpartum depression screening!  The US Department of Health & Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is conducting an evidence review of the efficacy and safety of conducting postpartum depression screening and has opened comments to its “Key Questions” about this topic.  The comments are open until December 6, so please be sure to add your opinions if you are an expert on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

The AHRQ explains the reason for this new evidence review of postpartum depression screening as follows:

Despite recognition a) that postpartum depression is common, b) that it may have serious effects on both mothers and infants, and c) that screening instruments are available, uncertainty about whether, when, and how to screen for postpartum depression remains … Sources for this uncertainty include:

• Imprecision in the published sensitivity and specificity estimates for the various instruments at the time the recommendations were drafted
• Uncertainty about the ability of screening strategies to consistently identify the patients most likely to benefit from available treatments and followup
• Lack of direct evidence of benefits from screening
• Issues related to management of women with a positive screening result

Here are some examples of the questions that are open for comment:

• What are the comparative benefits of screening for postpartum depression when compared to no screening, or between different screening strategies (based on choice of screening instrument, timing, setting, etc.)?
• What are the comparative harms of screening for postpartum depression when compared to no screening, or between different screening strategies (based on choice of screening instrument, timing, setting, etc.)?

To add your comments you may click on this link to go the page where they may be entered or follow the instructions at the site for mailing comments.