Screening Tools for Perinatal Mental Health: What Tools Are Used?
Sleepless nights, endless feeds, and a rollercoaster of emotions – becoming a parent isn’t easy. If you feel anxious or overwhelmed during pregnancy or after giving birth, you’re not alone. Feelings like this are more common than most people realize, and they don’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. They mean you’re a human being, and you’re doing your best.
But it’s not easy feeling this way day in and day out. That’s why mental health support during the perinatal period is so important. It can help you manage these feelings so they don’t become all-consuming or detrimental to your mental health.
One of the first steps toward getting the right help is knowing that you need it. That’s where perinatal mental health screening tools enter the conversation. These are simple and supportive questionnaires or check-ins that help your healthcare professionals understand what you are going through.
On this page, we’ll explore why mental health screening matters, the most commonly used screening tools, how they work, and what happens after. Whether you are a new mom or expecting a baby, understanding these tools can make a big difference.
Why Does Mental Health Screening for Pregnant Women Matter?
Mental health conditions are just as common in women who are pregnant or who have recently given birth, too.2 Sometimes, it’s difficult to know if what you’re feeling is due to pregnancy hormones or a sign of a mental health challenge. This is why perinatal mental health screening tools are handy.
What Is Mental Health Screening?
Healthcare professionals doing mental health screening use questionnaires to detect symptoms of mental health disorders. This includes conditions such as:
- Perinatal depression
- Perinatal anxiety
- Postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Bipolar disorder during pregnancy
How Common Are Mental Health Conditions During and After Pregnancy?
Perinatal Anxiety: Around one in five pregnant and new moms experience this.3- erinatal Depression: There is a one in five risk of depression during the perinatal period.4
- Perinatal Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Up to one in six new or expectant moms are affected.5
- Perinatal Bipolar Disorder: Two or three in every hundred women will develop bipolar disorder during pregnancy.6
- Childbirth-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Affects between 5% and 20% of new moms every year.7
- Postpartum Psychosis: One or two in every thousand new mothers are affected.8
What Happens if I Don’t Receive Treatment?
But the impact goes wider than your own mental health. Your child could potentially be affected, too. Studies show that maternal mental health problems left untreated can lead to increased risks of complications, miscarriage, low birth weight, brain development issues, and preterm birth.9,10
Standard Screening for Perinatal Mental Health
Who:
All perinatal women
When:
At the first OB-GYN visit, to identify any concerns before pregnancy.- At 24-28 weeks, to detect any onset of disorders during pregnancy.
- At the 4th trimester visit (postpartum) to spot any late pregnancy or early postpartum challenges.
The Academy of Pediatrics also recommends postpartum mental health screening for depression at well-child visits for the first year postpartum. Specifically, at the 1, 2, 4, and 6-month child visits.12
Common Perinatal Mental Health Screening Tools
Questionnaires are the number one screening tool for perinatal well-being. We’re going to take a quick look at the most commonly used screening tools for mental health during pregnancy, as recommended by the ACOG.11
1. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen (EPDS)
- Used for: screening for postpartum depression
- Number of Questions: 10
- Time period: Reflects on the past seven days
2. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
- Used for: Perinatal depression screening and severity monitoring
- Number of Questions: 9
- Time period: Reflects on the last two weeks
3. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD7)
- Used for: Identifying perinatal anxiety
- Number of Questions: 7
- Time period: Reflects on the last two weeks
4. Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5)
- Used for: detecting PTSD
- Number of Questions: 4
- Time period: Lifetime events and symptoms over the past month
5. Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ)
- Used for: Identifying bipolar mood disorder
- Number of Questions: 15
- Time period: Lifetime
There are many tools for identifying perinatal mood disorders, and we have only covered the main mental health questionnaires for pregnant women that the ACOG recommends. Your healthcare provider may have other tools they use that are not listed above, such as for anxiety screening during pregnancy. There are many different ways to detect symptoms and signs of mental health challenges in people.
You may be asked to complete one of these questionnaires either before or during your appointment. Your appointment may be with a doctor, OB-GYN, or a midwife, who can carry out these perinatal mental health assessments. It’s important to be honest and take your time to complete it so that it reflects how you are truly feeling. Your answers will help your healthcare provider detect any signs or symptoms that may be of concern, and can then advise and help you.
If you’re not sure how to speak to an OB-GYN, check out our page on How to Talk to Your OB-GYN About Mental Health During Pregnancy.
How Are Screening Results Used?
Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, it is scored by the clinical staff. They should tell you the results before you leave the appointment so that any advice on referrals, assessments, or treatment can be given.
Perinatal mental health screening tools on their own don’t diagnose you with a condition. That will be done by a qualified clinician after talking with you more in-depth about your symptoms and struggles. Depending on who your appointment is with, you may need to have a separate assessment with a mental health professional, which you can usually be referred to there and then. Once you have a diagnosis, the correct treatment can be recommended to help you manage your symptoms.
There are many treatments available for both prenatal and postpartum conditions. Depending on your diagnosis, treatment may include:
- Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT).
- Medication, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, or antipsychotics.
- Support Groups to provide you with extra support alongside other treatments.
Challenges and Considerations
Good mental health screening should be a standard part of your perinatal care. However, sometimes things can be missed. There are several obstacles to effective mental health screening:
- Stigma: Many people still worry about being judged for seeking mental health support while pregnant.
- Lack of Awareness: You may not realize how important your mental health is to your health, or to your baby’s. Therefore, you may not answer the questionnaires honestly.
- Cost: The cost of mental health services can be a barrier to many people, and may put you off of being screened altogether.
- Time: Your appointment time may be limited, and you may have other worries you want to talk about more urgently with your healthcare professional.
- Cultural Factors: You may have cultural beliefs about mental health that influence whether you choose to seek help.
- Training: Not everyone you meet on your healthcare journey will be trained to recognize perinatal mental health issues. Your OB-GYN may not have had a huge amount of mental health training, for example. However, mental health training is becoming more recognized as being crucial for perinatal health.
If you have concerns about your mental health, it’s always best to get checked out. Perinatal mental health screening tools are a simple way for any healthcare professional to find out if you have symptoms of a mental health condition.
Remember that your physical and mental health affects not only you but your unborn or newborn child as well. Your body is changing and your hormones are shifting in massive ways to grow a human being inside you. There is no shame in feeling low, anxious, or overwhelmed at this time in your life.
Having the courage to seek support is a strength, and can be positively life-changing for you and your family.
Get a Mental Health Screening in the Perinatal Period
If you’re finding this phase of your life harder than you expected, please know that you’re not alone. Early mental health screening can detect any well-being issues that may be bubbling under the surface. But perinatal mental health screening tools are just the beginning. They help start the conversations about care and treatment that can really make a difference.
It’s so important to prioritize your emotional well-being alongside your physical health during pregnancy and after giving birth. If you are feeling anxious, low, or just not yourself, reach out to our team at Mission Connection. We’re here to listen and support you.
At Mission Connection, we are experts in treating perinatal mental health challenges. We work with you to create a completely individualized treatment plan, allowing you to recover and heal in the way that feels best for you. Whether you are interested in support groups, therapy, assessments, medication management, or something else, we have you covered.
We know that everyone is different and will need varying levels of support, which is why we offer:
- Outpatient Treatment – including CBT and ERP
- Intensive Outpatient Programs – for extra care and help during the daytimes
- Residential Treatment – for 24/7 care and support
- Telehealth – so that you can attend virtual appointments, where and when it suits you
Cost shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing the help you need, which is why we offer a range of ways to pay, including insurance payments, flexible payment plans, and sliding-scale fees. Click here for more details.
Contact us today, and know that you don’t have to travel this journey alone. We will be by your side, every step of the way.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2024). Mental illness. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
- Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. (2025, April 28). About maternal mental health disorders. https://policycentermmh.org/mmh-disorders/
- Ayers, S., Sinesi, A., Meade, R., Cheyne, H., Maxwell, M., Best, C., McNicol, S., Williams, L. R., Hutton, U., Howard, G., Shakespeare, J., Alderdice, F., & Jomeen, J. (2024). Prevalence and treatment of perinatal anxiety: diagnostic interview study. BJPsych Open, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.823
- Postpartum Support International. (2025, March 18). About perinatal mental health. https://postpartum.net/perinatal-mental-health/
- Mulcahy, M., Long, C., Morrow, T., Galbally, M., Rees, C., & Anderson, R. (2023). Consensus recommendations for the assessment and treatment of perinatal obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD): A Delphi study. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 26(3), 389–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-023-01315-2
- Masters, G. A., Hugunin, J., Xu, L., Ulbricht, C. M., Simas, T. a. M., Ko, J. Y., & Byatt, N. (2022). Prevalence of bipolar disorder in perinatal women. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 83(5). https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.21r14045
- Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. (2025, March). Childbirth-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CB-PTSD): A critical maternal health issue that must be addressed systemically. [Issue Brief] http://www.doi.org/10.69764/CBPT2025
- Friedman, S. H., Reed, E., & Ross, N. E. (2023). Postpartum psychosis. Current Psychiatry Reports, 25(2), 65–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01406-4
- Wu, Y., De Asis-Cruz, J., & Limperopoulos, C. (2024). Brain structural and functional outcomes in the offspring of women experiencing psychological distress during pregnancy. Molecular Psychiatry, 29(7), 2223–2240. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0
- Schofield, Z., & Kapoor, D. (2019). Pre-existing mental health disorders and pregnancy. Obstetrics Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine, 29(3), 74–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogrm.2019.01.005
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Implementing perinatal mental health screening. (n.d.). ACOG. Retrieved on June 19, 2025, from: https://www.acog.org/programs/perinatal-mental-health/implementing-perinatal-mental-health-screening
- Earls, M. (2024, January 24). Screening new parents for depression helps mother, child and the whole family. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/aap-voices/screening-new-parents-for-depression/
