Adaptation of the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV disorders for assessing depression in women during pregnancy and post-partum across countries and cultures.

BACKGROUND

To date, no study has used standardised diagnostic assessment procedures to determine whether rates of perinatal depression vary across cultures.

AIMS

To adapt the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders (SCID) for assessing depression and other non-psychotic psychiatric illness perinatally and to pilot the instrument in different centres and cultures.

METHOD

Assessments using the adapted SCID and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were conducted during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 6 months postpartum with 296 women from ten sites in eight countries. Point prevalence rates during pregnancy and the postnatal period and adjusted 6-month period prevalence rates were computed for caseness, depression and major depression.

RESULTS

The third trimester and 6-month point prevalence rates for perinatal depression were 6.9% and 8.0%, respectively. Postnatal 6-month period prevalence rates for perinatal depression ranged from 2.1% to 31.6% across centres and there were significant differences in these rates between centres.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings suggest that the SCID was successfully adapted for this context. Further research on determinants of differences in prevalence of depression across cultures is needed.