Evaluation of the effectiveness of a screening program as compared to usual care in identifying patients with post-partum depression: a cohort study of 20,448 births in Bizkaia (Spain)

Key Points

• The study aims to assess how effective a systematic screening program is in identifying post-partum depression compared to usual care.
• Cohort study design involving 20,448 births in Bizkaia, Spain.
• Comparison of systematic screening versus usual care in detecting post-partum depression.
• Identification of at-risk subgroups for follow-up and analysis of access inequalities.
• Systematic screening significantly enhances the detection and diagnosis of post-partum depression compared to usual care.
• Certain at-risk subgroups were identified that require targeted follow-up.
• Findings indicate access inequalities based on foreign origin.