In the perinatal period the woman is vulnerable to depression. Major and minor depression presents prevalence rates ranging respectively from 8,5 and 11% during pregnancy and between 6.5% and 12.9% in the first year post-partum. However, only a small percentage of cases are identified and treated, with negative consequences on both the mother and the baby.

To compare two samples of women at the first month postpartum, the first followed since first month of pregnancy and the second evaluated the first time in the first month postpartum, about the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

We compared two groups of women in the first month postpartum: 271 women followed since 1 st month of pregnancy and 130 women evaluated for the first time in the first month postpartum. We administered: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory-Revised (PDPI-R) and the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnosis of Axis I psychiatric disorders (SCID-I).

In the first month postpartum, women followed since pregnancy have a significantly lower depressive symptoms and anxiety, as demonstrated by lower EPDS scores (t = −6,140, p < .001) and STAI scores (t = −4,800, p < .001).

Early screening can reduce rates of perinatal psychopathology and allow to identify women most at risk, allowing earlier diagnosis and better treatment management.