Propiedades Psicométricas de las Preguntas de Whooley y Arroll para el Cribado de la Depresión Prenatal en Población Española

Abstract

Introduction: Prenatal depression (PD) is a problem of worldwide importance. Health professionals should be provided with simple, brief, and evidence-based screening tools to ensure best practices in the management of perinatal health. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the three questions in screening for PD in a sample of Spanish pregnant women, using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 as the gold standard. Methods: This cross-sectional study had a sample consisting of 405 women. Results: The results showed a single-factor scale with an adequate reliability index (ω=.79), whose area under the curve is .80, p<.001. Sensitivity and specificity were .48 and .91, respectively, with 1 as the cut-off point. Discussion: The psychometric properties of the Whooley and Arroll questions suggest that they are suitable for use as a screening tool for prenatal depression.