A checklist to identify women at risk for developing postpartum depression.

This article describes the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory, a checklist to identify women at risk for developing this devastating illness. Postpartum depression wreaks havoc not only on mothers, but also on their entire families. Researchers have reported that postpartum depression has a moderate to large adverse effect on mother-infant interaction. Children older than 1 year whose mothers had postpartum depression have been reported to display more behavioral problems and cognitive deficits than children of mothers who were not depressed. It is crucial to identify and treat women with postpartum depression as early as possible. This problem often continues due to lack of identification. Identifying women at risk and providing early treatment interventions are the first steps in dealing with this problem.