Risk check
Am I at higher risk of depression during or after pregnancy?
Depression during pregnancy or after birth affects as many as 1 in 7 women. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends counseling to prevent it for people at increased risk. Check which risk factors apply to you.
About you
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What you will see
Whether the USPSTF advice on counseling to prevent perinatal depression fits you.
Educational only, not medical advice. It does not screen for or diagnose depression.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, February 2019 recommendation on interventions to prevent perinatal depression.
Validated in
People who are pregnant or less than 1 year postpartum, without a current diagnosis of depression.
Limits
There is no accurate tool to predict who will develop perinatal depression. This lists the factors the USPSTF names; it is not a score and does not check for depression now. For that, use the PHQ-9.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnant and postpartum people at increased risk of perinatal depression | Clinicians provide or refer them to counseling (USPSTF 2019) | B |
The USPSTF concludes with moderate certainty that counseling to prevent perinatal depression has a moderate net benefit for people at increased risk, and that its harms are no greater than small (USPSTF 2019).
Who counts as at increased risk
No accurate screening tool exists to identify who is at risk. As a practical approach, the USPSTF suggests counseling for people with 1 or more of the factors from the first list above: a history of depression, current depressive symptoms below a diagnosis, low income, teenage or single parenthood, recent intimate partner violence, high anxiety symptoms or significant negative life events (USPSTF 2019).
Other factors that may be linked to perinatal depression include a family history of depression, physical or sexual abuse, an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, current stressful life events, diabetes before or during pregnancy, pregnancy complications such as preterm birth or pregnancy loss, and lack of social or financial support (USPSTF 2019).
What the counseling is
The studies mostly used cognitive behavioral therapy, which works on negative thoughts and on adding positive activities, and interpersonal therapy, which works on relationship issues (USPSTF 2019). Programs lasted a median of 8 weeks with about 12 hours of contact, in groups, one to one, in person or by phone (USPSTF 2019). Across the studies, counseling lowered the chance of perinatal depression by 39% (USPSTF 2019). Evidence for other approaches, such as exercise, education, medicines and supplements, was limited or mixed (USPSTF 2019).
Why it matters
Perinatal depression is depression during pregnancy or after birth. It affects as many as 1 in 7 women, is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and the postpartum period, and can have short- and long-term effects on both mother and child (USPSTF 2019).
Common questions
Is this the same as depression screening?
No. This is about preventing depression in people who do not have it. The USPSTF separately recommends depression screening for adults, including pregnant and postpartum people (USPSTF 2023). The PHQ-9 depression check is one of the questionnaires used.
Also see the partner violence screening check, the blood pressure in pregnancy check, the gestational diabetes screening check, the anxiety screening (GAD-7) and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Interventions to Prevent Perinatal Depression: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2019;321(6):580. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/perinatal-depression-preventive-interventions
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Depression and Suicide Risk in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2023;329(23):2057. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/screening-depression-suicide-risk-adults
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call, text or chat 988; available 24/7, free and confidential. 988lifeline.org/
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-29. Spotted an error? See About.