[Screening of depressive disorders during the postpartum period with the Zerssen self-evaluation scale].

The frequency of post-partum depressive states is well know. Post-partum blues is considered in the literature, to be a frequent transitory and benign syndrome, as it affects between 20 and 80% of women after childbirth. This blues only lasts a few days, and generally occurs around the 4th days post-partum. Research dealing with the relations between the mother and her newborn needs to include an evaluation of mothers' mood which could modify these interactions. The study of transitory post-partum blues requires a standardized mood measuring instrument which can be adapted to an experimental situation (as for instance, the study of the first relations between the mother and the newborn). The scale must be easy and fast to use so as not to over-burden the mothers with tests. The test must also be able to be used day after day to show the rapid variations in mood. The Zerssen self-rating scale, which requires ten minutes to complete was used. 61 women filled out the rating scale each morning from the 2nd to 7th day after the birth of her child. The score obtained with this scale became a quantitative evaluation of the mothers' depressive mood. Each score can be put into one of the following five categories: [table: see text] The results show that 23% of the mothers suffered from transitory post-partum depression, 23% of the mothers are anxious and 54% are relaxed. The days when the mothers were depressed were day 3 and to a lesser extend, day 4 post-partum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)