Diagnosis of Post-natal depression

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If you think you have postnatal depression, you should see your GP as soon as possible. If you donâ€™t feel able to leave your home, you can ask to be seen at home by your health visitor.

The diagnosis is based on what you tell your GP about the symptoms youâ€™ve had. It can be helpful to go with your partner, or a close friend or relative. They will probably have noticed your behaviour is different even before you realised it yourself, and may be able to give the GP more information.

Sometimes your GP may do a blood test to make sure that there is not a physical reason for the symptoms, such as an underactive thyroid or anaemia.

A study carried out into postnatal depression showed that only 1 in 4 women sought any help. As a result of this, many GPs now use a short questionnaire to help diagnose postnatal depression. This is called the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and has 10 simple questions. Recently, some doctors have been using this scale during the pregnancy to try and find women who are more likely to become depressed after the birth.

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