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Enrolling by invitationNo phase

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

Key facts

Who runs it
Massachusetts General Hospital
Where
Boston, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Status
Enrolling by invitation
People taking part
428 people, planned
Started
Nov 2026
Expected to end
Feb 2028
Type of study
Interventional, 4 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Early PPD Screening
Record updated
12 November 2026

Who can take part

Age
18 years and older
Sex
Women only
Healthy volunteers
Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 8 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • 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

Who cannot take part

  • 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

Where in United States

  • Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, United StatesEnrolling by invitation

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

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.

The 4 groups in the trial

  • Early Screening among High-Risk ParticipantsTreatment being tested

    Early PPD screening among individuals identified at high risk for PPD

    Treatment: Early PPD Screening

  • Routine Care among High-Risk ParticipantsNo study treatment, for comparison

    Routine care among individuals identified at high risk for PPD

  • Early Screening among Low-Risk ParticipantsTreatment being tested

    arly PPD screening among individuals identified at low risk for PPD

    Treatment: Early PPD Screening

  • Routine Care among Low-Risk ParticipantsNo study treatment, for comparison

    Routine care among individuals identified at low risk for PPD

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Record updated
12 November 2026