Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

Purpose & Scope

  • This guideline is intended for nurses and other members of the interprofessional team who are involved in screening, assessing, preventing and providing interventions for persons who are at risk for, or experiencing, perinatal depression across all care settings.
  • In this Guideline, the term perinatal depression refers to a depression that occurs during pregnancy and/or within one year of childbirth. 
  • The terms ‘person’, ‘individual or ‘parent’ are used to reflect a choice of inclusive language that recognizes perinatal depression as not solely an experience by pregnant and postpartum women.    
Women and Children
Assessment and Interventions Perinatal Depression
Background Information