The MIHA survey has included questions about maternal
depression from 2003-2008. Questions varied over the years, and have included:
- A basic single question on feeling sad, blue or depressed
for 2 or more weeks at a time during pregnancy, with a separate question
pertaining to after pregnancy;
- An additional question to make a 2-question screen, with the
second question regarding losing interest in things that respondent usually
enjoyed asked about during pregnancy, and asking later during the postpartum
period;
- A question on diminished ability to perform usual activities
because of emotional problems such as depression or lack of interest during
pregnancy;
- The 11-question Iowa Short Form of the CES-D depression
screening tool asked in regard to the postpartum period;
- A question on health provider screening for depression
during pregnancy;
- A question on health provider referral to a counselor for
depression during pregnancy and;
- The same questions on provider screening and provider
referral for postpartum.
Additional related questions have included:
- Mental
health in general just before getting pregnant, and during pregnancy;
- Happiness
about finding she was pregnant;
- How
happy a time the pregnancy was;
- Whether
she had emotional support during the pregnancy;
- Questions
about various hardships during the pregnancy, such as losing her job when
she wanted to keep it, or someone close to her becoming incarcerated;
- Intimate
partner emotional or physical violence before, during, and after
pregnancy; and
- Sense
of control over her life
The California Women’s Health Survey (CWHS) has also
included a number of questions over the years that are related to mental
health. Mental health was also included in our preconception health report:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/healthyliving/childfamily/Documents/MO-PreconceptionHealthOct07.pdf
