Routine vs. Early Postpartum Depression Screening: A Pragmatic Clinical Trial

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Postpartum Depression (PPD)

In brief

After having a baby, some women develop a condition called postpartum depression, or PPD, which can cause sadness, anxiety, and difficulty bonding with their newborn. Right now, most women aren't screened for PPD until about 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth, but this study wants to find out if checking earlier could help identify signs sooner. To test this, researchers will work with 428 women who deliver at an MGH hospital clinic and have no history of depression. Each woman will be randomly placed into one of two groups: one group will fill out a short depression questionnaire online at 2 to 3 weeks after delivery, while the other group will follow the usual process and complete the same questionnaire at their regular 6-week visit. The results will go to each woman's doctor, who will decide if any follow-up care is needed, just like they normally would. The study will follow each participant for 6 months after delivery to see whether earlier screening makes a difference.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07460063

Run by

Massachusetts General Hospital

People needed

428

Starts

2026-06-01

Expected to finish

2027-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-07

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Live birth, term (≥37 weeks) delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital
• Access to Patient Gateway, as to receive the electronic EPDS scale
• Primary obstetric provider at MGH or its affiliated clinics
• No recent history of depressive disorder as determined through diagnoses or medication use*
• Age ≥18 years old

You may not qualify if…

• A diagnosis code in the EHR for major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychotic disorder within the year prior to delivery
• Antidepressant, antipsychotic, or bipolar medication use within the year prior to delivery
• Age <18 years old

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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