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

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.

NCT Number	NCT07460063
Lead Sponsor	Massachusetts General Hospital
Conditions	Postpartum Depression (PPD)
Enrollment	428 participants
Start Date	2026-09
Primary Completion	2027-08 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-12