Postpartum depression screening scale: Spanish version

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression is a global phenomenon. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate the Spanish version of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS). METHODS: Eight translators representing the predominant Hispanic groups in the United States translated the PDSS into a Spanish version. A total of 377 Hispanic mothers completed the PDSS-Spanish Version within 12 weeks postpartum at two sites: Connecticut and Texas. Confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory analysis were conducted to assess construct validity. RESULTS: For the total sample of 377 Hispanic women, the alpha reliability for the total PDSS was.95; dimension-level alphas ranged from.76 to.90. The total PDSS alphas by group were as follows: .94 (Mexican), .96 (Puerto Rican), and .93 (Other). Confirmatory factor analysis provided empirical support for the existence of the hypothesized constructs assessed by the PDSS. Item response theory analysis supported the adequacy of the construct definitions and confirmed that the response options for the Likert categories were an "ordered" attitude continuum in which higher responses corresponded to higher levels of "agreement" with the depressive symptomatology items. CONCLUSIONS: When compared to the original English PDSS, the reliability and validity psychometrics for the Spanish version were slightly lower, but still within the acceptable range.