Five Action Steps to Address Maternal Depression in Head Start Programs: #1

Five Action Steps to Address Maternal Depression in Head Start Programs: #1

1. Identify families in need of support through validated screening tools

There are a number of valid and reliable screening tools to help Head Start programs identify families who may be experiencing depressive symptoms. Below we have listed some of the most commonly used tools. Many of these tools are available for free. There is also a PDF version of this list that can be downloaded to share with others. Remember to review the screenings completed for children of parents experiencing, since depression can affect their social and emotional development too!

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Resources

Screening Tool Completed or Administered by Primary Audience No of Items/ Completion Time
Tools available at no cost
Patient Health Questionnaire- 2
(PHQ-2)
Completed by patient or administered by a clinician Screens for depressive symptomatology in the general population 2 items, Less than 1 minute
Patient Health Questionnaire- 9
(PHQ-9)
Completed  by patient Measures depressive symptomatology in the general population 9 items, 5-10 minutes
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Completed bypatient Measures depressive symptomatology in postnatal women 10 items, 5-10 minutes
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale
(CES-D)
Completed  by patient Measures depressive symptomatology in the general population 20 items, 5-10 minutes
Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression                 (HAM-D) Administered  by clinician Measures depressive symptomatology in the general population 21 items, 15-20 minutes
Tools available through purchase from the publisher
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Fast Screen for Medical Patients Completed  by patient Measures depressive symptomatology in the general population, designed for medical patients 7 items, less than five minutes
Postpartum Depression Screening Scale
(PDSS)
Completed  by patient Measures depressive symptomatology in postnatal women 35 items, 5-10 minutes
This product was developed [in part] under grant number 1H79SM082070-01 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.