This evidence-based practice project established postpartum depression (PPD) screening and followed maternal use of mental health services in a multilingual low socioeconomic status urban population.

The Iowa Model Revised: Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Excellence in Health Care was used to establish a screening protocol for mothers at their infants’ well-child checks. For mothers with positive screens, providers referred them to mental health care and updated their child's electronic health record diagnosis to prompt reassessment for future visits.

Over 6 months, 273 mothers were screened at 523 eligible office visits (83.5% screening rate), 26 (9.5%) screened positive, 19 (73.1%) were referred to mental health services, and 12 (63.2%) attended the referral. Thirteen (50%) mothers with PPD had the appropriate electronic health record flag in their infant's record.

This project successfully implemented the American Academy of Pediatrics PPD screening guidelines and could be applicable to other pediatric outpatient settings.