Scale for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Among Indian Women: Development and Psychometric Properties

Many women are impacted by postpartum depression and anxiety. The present study aims to create a self-report measure for postpartum depression and anxiety among Indian women. Method: The present study is a cross-sectional, hospital-based study and used a purposive sampling method. 540 postpartum women were included in the four stages of test construction, using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and testretest and construct validity of the new scale: Scale for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety (SPDA). Data was collected from SGT Hospital, Gurugram, along with the mother and Child Care Clinic, New Delhi. Results: A 25-item self-report scale was constructed. The internal consistency reliability (á = 0.979), test-retest reliability (á = 0.841), and the convergent validity of SPDA were found to be excellent (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Postpartum depression and anxiety can be screened easily and quickly with SPDA in outpatient settings or at clinic visits