Screening & Identification

EPDS vs. PHQ-9 vs. GAD-7: Which Screening Tool for Which Perinatal Setting?

A practical comparison of validated PMAD screening tools: psychometric properties, cutoff scores, clinical limitations, and which tool fits which practice context.

How to Deliver a Positive PMAD Screening Result to a Patient

Evidence-based language and clinical approaches for disclosing a positive PMAD screen, addressing patient ambivalence, and initiating a referral in a way that maximizes follow-through.

Universal vs. Risk-Based PMAD Screening: What the Evidence Says

Should all perinatal patients receive standardized depression screening, or should resources focus on high-risk groups? A review of the evidence comparing universal and targeted screening approaches.

Provider Liability When a Patient's Perinatal Mental Health Is Missed

Missed PMAD diagnoses are a growing source of malpractice litigation. A practical overview of where liability arises, what the plaintiff arguments look like, and what clinical practices reduce exposure.

Postpartum Psychosis: Risk Identification for OB Providers

Postpartum psychosis affects 1-2 per 1,000 births and is a psychiatric emergency. This guide covers risk factors, clinical signs, and escalation for OB providers.

PMAD Screening in Fertility Patients: When and How to Start

Fertility patients face elevated PMAD risk beginning at treatment initiation, long before delivery. Screening protocols, timing recommendations, and referral strategies for REIs, fertility nurses, and reproductive endocrinologists.

Scope of Practice and Clinical Liability in Perinatal Mental Health

A comprehensive reference on the legal and clinical standards that govern perinatal mental health screening, documentation, referral, and mandatory reporting — with practical guidance for OBGYNs, CNMs, NPs, and hospital providers.

PMAD Screening Mandates by State: What OBs Are Required to Do

State-level PMAD screening requirements vary significantly. A reference for OBGYNs, CNMs, and hospital providers covering mandated screening statutes, educational requirements, hospital discharge rules, and where federal guidelines intersect with state law.

EPDS vs. PHQ-9 vs. GAD-7: Choosing a PMAD Screening Tool for OB and Midwifery Practices

Compare EPDS, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 cutoff scores, sensitivity data, and clinical timing to choose the right PMAD screening tool for your OB or midwifery practice.

Postpartum OCD and Intrusive Thoughts: What Screening Tools Miss

Postpartum OCD is underidentified because standard screening tools are not designed to capture it. Recognizing ego-dystonic intrusive thoughts, distinguishing OCD from psychosis, and what treatment looks like for this population.

Perinatal Mental Health Screening for Fertility Patients

Fertility patients carry elevated PMAD risk that the receiving OB rarely knows about. This guide covers the handoff screening gap and what each provider can do.

The PMAD Detection Gap in OB Practice: How Many of Your Patients Are Being Missed

Most OB practices identify fewer than 1 in 10 postpartum patients with PMADs. This guide examines why the gap persists and what systematic screening changes.

Prenatal Anxiety Screening in OB and Midwifery Practice

GAD-7 is the preferred prenatal anxiety screen. This guide covers scoring thresholds, when to administer during pregnancy, and how to respond to a positive result.

Perinatal PTSD and Birth Trauma Screening: Clinical Guide

Screen for perinatal PTSD and birth trauma using validated tools. Covers PCL-5, City Birth Trauma Scale, risk factors, optimal timing, and ICD-10 coding.

PMAD Screening in BIPOC and Underserved Perinatal Patients

PMAD rates are higher in BIPOC perinatal patients but detection is lower. Covers EPDS limitations, disclosure barriers, and adjusted clinical screening practice.

Paternal Postpartum Depression Screening: A Clinical Guide

Paternal PPD affects roughly 10% of new fathers and is largely unscreened. This guide covers validated tools, clinical presentation, and who should screen.

Perinatal Mental Health Screening: A Complete Guide for OBGYNs and Clinical Providers

Antenatal Screening: Catching Depression and Anxiety Before Birth

Prenatal depression and anxiety are more prevalent than postpartum presentations and predict postpartum PMAD. Screening protocols, risk stratification, and referral thresholds for OBGYNs and midwives.

PMAD Screening in Clinical Practice: A Complete Reference for Perinatal Providers

Screening tools, cutoff scores, timing recommendations, and referral thresholds for depression and anxiety across the perinatal period. A clinical reference for OBGYNs, midwives, pediatricians, and all providers working with perinatal patients.

The Standard of Care for PMAD Screening: ACOG, AAP, and USPSTF Guidelines

What ACOG, AAP, and USPSTF actually recommend for PMAD screening — and what those recommendations mean for perinatal providers in clinical practice and in liability contexts.