Screening mums for postnatal depression not cost effective

Screening new mothers for the risk of postnatal depression is not cost effective, claims a new medical report.

Bringing in routine screening has recently been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Medical researchers at the University of York don’t believe screening will offer the NHS good value for money though.

More than one in ten women suffer from postnatal depression six weeks after giving birth.

Less than half of the cases are detected and the use of a postnatal or depression quetionnaire has attracted controversy.

Researchers aiming to find out how cost effective the 2007 NICE guidelines decided that the cost of managing those mothers wrongly diagnosed with postnatal depression was too high compared to standard routine care.

The study published on the BMJ.com website today, calls for further research to be conducted.