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Poster Session 2

Category: Perinatal Mental Health

Poster Session 2

(671) Patient Perspectives about Universal Inpatient Postpartum Depression Screening

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

Shobha Jagannatham, MD (she/her/hers)

Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York, United States

Coauthor(s)

AC

Anna Cavallino, BS

Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
Brooklyn, New York, United States
MM

Marlee Madora, MD

Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York, United States
Rubiahna L. Vaughn, MD

Program Director of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship Assistant; Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York, United States
Kavita Vani, MD, MS

Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center
Bronx, New York, United States

Objective:
To explore patient perspectives on postpartum depression (PPD) screening during the delivery admission.

Study Design:
In April 2024, we implemented universal PPD screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during delivery hospitalization. Scores ≥10 prompted referral to social work and reproductive psychiatry. We conducted semi-structured interviews with postpartum patients to assess screening experiences. The interview guide was informed by Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) domains: intervention characteristics, inner and outer settings, characteristics of individuals, and process. A purposeful sample was selected based on psychiatric history, parity, and delivery course until thematic saturation was reached. After informed consent, interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Two coders iteratively developed a codebook using inductive and deductive approaches.

Results:
We interviewed 20 patients with varied psychiatric and obstetric histories. Most were familiar with PPD (95%, n=19); 75% (n=15) experienced a pregnancy complication. Median EPDS score was 4 [IQR 1–6]. Themes aligned with CFIR domains and constructs:

Intervention Characteristics – Design Quality & Complexity: Screening Reactions ranged from validating to intrusive. Administration Preferences (paper vs. verbal screening) were shaped by literacy, privacy concerns, and engagement with staff.

Inner Setting – Compatibility & Culture: Preferred Timing of screening varied; while many found screening during hospitalization acceptable, others preferred later screening after recovery and adjustment.

Outer Setting – Patient Needs: Birth Experience Emotions like trauma and exhaustion shaped receptivity to screening.

Characteristics of Individuals – Knowledge and Beliefs: Understanding of PPD varied; some recognized symptoms in hindsight, while others normalized them.

Conclusion:
Universal PPD screening was generally acceptable, but varied receptivity underscores the need for flexible, patient-centered approaches to support postpartum mental health needs.