Periscope Project Provider Toolkit
This toolkit was produced by the Medical College of Wisconsin and is provided to health care providers through the Periscope Project. The goal of this toolkit is to provide practitioners with an up-to-date, reliable, and easy to use source of information for mental health conditions during the perinatal period. The content is based on the latest available evidence-based guidelines and research whenever possible. If you are aware of new guidelines or research or if you have suggestions that can help improve this toolkit, please contact theperiscopeproject@mcw.edu.
Access all evaluation guides, screening tools, treatment algorithms and informational materials.
Disclaimer: The toolkit is intended for health care professionals for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The toolkit is not a replacement for careful medical judgments by qualified medical personnel. There may be information in the toolkit that does not apply to or may be inappropriate for the medical situation at hand.
Periscope Project Provider Conversation Starters
Dr. Christina L. Wichman, Periscope Project Medical Director, discusses the importance of speaking to pregnant and postpartum patients about their mental health.
Learn more about these three steps in this video:
- Build a relationship
- Use validated, standardized screening tools
- Start a conversation
Provider Toolkit Selected Resources
Screening Tools
Download these validated universal perinatal mental health screening tools:
Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) (PDF)
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) (PDF)
Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS) (PDF)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) (PDF)
Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) (PDF)
Primary Care PTSD Screen-5 (PC-PTSD-5) and PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) (PDF)
Algorithms, Evaluations and Clinical Considerations
Download these additional materials for more information on treatment algorithms, evaluating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and clinical considerations:
Evaluating Mood and Anxiety Symptoms (PDF)
Clinical Considerations When Assessing the Mental Health of Perinatal Women (PPT)
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) (PDF)
Overall Evaluation and Treatment Algorithm (PDF)
Medication Decision Tree for Postpartum Depression (PDF)
Medication Algorithm for Depression (Formerly Antidepressant Algorithm) (PDF)
National Screening Standard of Care Recommendations
American Academy of Pediatrics
January 2019
The pediatric primary care physician has a unique opportunity to identify PPD and help prevent untoward developmental and mental health outcomes for the infant and family. Screening has proven successful in several initiatives. Intervention and referral are optimized by collaborative relationships with community resources and/or by collocated and/or integrated mental health in primary care. Routine screening for PPD should be integrated into well-child visits at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months of age. Training and continuing medical education programs should be available for all pediatric providers on the subject of PPD screening and referral.
American College of OB/GYN
June 2023
Clinical practice guidelines were updated to include recommendations that:
- Everyone receiving well-woman, prepregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum care be screened for depression and anxiety using standardized, validated instruments.
- Screening for perinatal depression and anxiety occur at the initial prenatal visit, later in pregnancy, and at postpartum visits.
- Mental health screening be implemented with systems in place to ensure timely access to assessment and diagnosis, effective treatment, and appropriate monitoring and follow-up based on severity.
US Preventative Services Task Force
June 2023
The USPSTF recommends screening for depression in the adult population, including pregnant and postpartum persons, as well as older adults.