1 I’ve been able to laugh … see the funny side of things: | As much as always could |
Not quite so much now | |
Definitely not so much | |
Now not at all | |
2 I’ve looked forward with enjoyment to things: | As much as I ever did |
Rather less than before | |
Definitely less than before | |
Hardly at all | |
3 ★I’ve blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong: | |
Yes, most of the time | |
Yes, some of the time | |
Not very often | |
No, never | |
4 I’ve been anxious or worried for no good reason: | No, not at all |
Hardly ever | |
Yes, sometimes | |
Yes, very often | |
5 I’ve felt scared/panicky for no very good reason: | Yes, quite a lot |
Yes, sometimes | |
No, not much | |
No, not at all | |
6 ★Things have been getting on top of me: | |
Yes, most of the time I haven’t been able to cope at all | |
Yes, sometimes I haven’t been coping as well as usual | |
No, most of the time I have coped quite well | |
No, I have been coping as well as ever | |
7 ★I’ve been so unhappy that it is difficult to sleep: | Yes, most of the time |
Yes, sometimes | |
Not very often | |
No, not at all | |
8 ★I’ve felt sad or miserable: | Yes, most of the time |
Yes, quite often | |
Not very often | |
No, not at all | |
9 ★I’ve been so unhappy that I’ve been crying: | Yes, most of the time |
Yes, quite often | |
Only occasionally | |
No, never | |
10 ★Thoughts of harming myself have occurred to me: | Yes, quite often |
Sometimes | |
Hardly ever | |
Instructions Underline what comes closest to how you have felt in the last 7 days. | Never |
1 I’ve been able to laugh … see the funny side of things: | As much as always could |
Not quite so much now | |
Definitely not so much | |
Now not at all | |
2 I’ve looked forward with enjoyment to things: | As much as I ever did |
Rather less than before | |
Definitely less than before | |
Hardly at all | |
3 ★I’ve blamed myself unnecessarily when things went wrong: | |
Yes, most of the time | |
Yes, some of the time | |
Not very often | |
No, never | |
4 I’ve been anxious or worried for no good reason: | No, not at all |
Hardly ever | |
Yes, sometimes | |
Yes, very often | |
5 I’ve felt scared/panicky for no very good reason: | Yes, quite a lot |
Yes, sometimes | |
No, not much | |
No, not at all | |
6 ★Things have been getting on top of me: | |
Yes, most of the time I haven’t been able to cope at all | |
Yes, sometimes I haven’t been coping as well as usual | |
No, most of the time I have coped quite well | |
No, I have been coping as well as ever | |
7 ★I’ve been so unhappy that it is difficult to sleep: | Yes, most of the time |
Yes, sometimes | |
Not very often | |
No, not at all | |
8 ★I’ve felt sad or miserable: | Yes, most of the time |
Yes, quite often | |
Not very often | |
No, not at all | |
9 ★I’ve been so unhappy that I’ve been crying: | Yes, most of the time |
Yes, quite often | |
Only occasionally | |
No, never | |
10 ★Thoughts of harming myself have occurred to me: | Yes, quite often |
Sometimes | |
Hardly ever | |
Instructions Underline what comes closest to how you have felt in the last 7 days. | Never |
Ask to score answers 0, 1, 2, or 3 according to increased severity; some (★above) are reverse scored (3, 2, 1, 0). Add scores for 1–10 for the total. Let her complete the scale herself, eg at the 8-week check-up, unless literary difficulty. 
A score of 12/30 has a sensitivity of 77% for postnatal depression (specificity: 93%).
Never trust this sort of thing totally! ~40% lie on the form, being afraid that health visitors would call in social services (± removal of baby).
