Not Just the Blues: PNDA
Sample Psychosocial Assessment Questions
Psycho- social assessment is used to identify the needs, preferences and abilities of the client. Assessment
may occur at any time in your client/patient interactions. Assessment may tell you that further screening on
specific points or risk factors is timely, or screening may indicate the need for further assessment. Assessment may help you open up a conversation about Perinatal Depression and/or Anxiety or be used as a follow
up from the EPDS to begin building a care plan in partnership with the client/patient. Below are some sample
assessment questions to use in your practice.
Psychosocial assessment used in combination with the EPDS can increase the detection of
depression and support early intervention and follow up.
It may be helpful to organize your psychosocial assessment along the following lines:
What is the role of their personal or family history? (include a history of family violence)
What are any recent stressful life events that may be contributing to the current situation?
How are they, and their family, adjusting to pregnancy and parenting?
What emotional and practical supports are available?
What are the birthing person’s key strengths?
Below are some sample psychosocial assessment questions you may use in your practice.
These are not intended as a checklist.
Conversation Openers
This is an opportunity to share with me some of the things that have had an impact on your life and the types of support that
are helpful to you, I’d like to learn more about that. What is going on or has happened in your life you’d like to talk about?
Can you tell me a little bit about your physical and emotional well-being? This means how you feel about yourself, your
relationships and how you manage stressors or difficulties in life.
What is this new life (being pregnant/having infant) like for you? Tell me what is important for you right now?
Self-Care
We often minimize what we need to care for ourselves. Can you tell me what you need to care for yourself
emotionally/physically/spiritually?
When you think about your pregnancy/infant, how are you planning to take care of yourself (emotionally, physically,
spiritually)? What will you do if you are not feeling well emotionally?
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Not Just the Blues: PNDA
Sample Psychosocial Assessment Questions
Life Experiences
This is an opportunity to share with me some of the things that have had an impact on your life and the types of support that
are helpful to you, I’d like to learn more about that.
When you think about your family, what did you notice about their emotional well-being?
What was your parents’ relationship like? What would you do the same/differently in parenting your child?
What else is going on or happened in your life you’d like to talk about?
When you think about your life experiences, can you tell me about coping strategies that have helped your through challenging
life experiences? Or can you tell me about how you look after yourself emotionally?
Personal or Family History of Mental Health Issues
Have you ever felt anxious, miserable, worried or depressed for more than a couple of weeks?
If so, did it seriously interfere with your work and your relationships with friends and family?
If anxious or depressed, What have you found helpful to calm down and get focused when you’re feeling anxious?
What makes it worse?
Have you felt depressed or low during your pregnancy or previous pregnancy?
Are you currently receiving, or have you in the past received treatment for any emotional or mental health problems? (e.g.,
eating disorder, depression, or another mental health disorder)
Has anyone in your immediate family experienced or received treatment for a mental health problem (e.g., parents, siblings,
grandparents) (including suicide attempts)
Long-standing Personality Vulnerabilities (e.g., low self-esteem, perfectionism)
What concerns you about becoming/being a parent?
What kind of parent do you think you’ll be?
Recent Significant or Ongoing Life Stressors (e.g., move, financial stress)
Have you had any major stressors, changes or losses recently (e.g., in the last 12 months) such as, financial concerns, someone
close to you dying, or any other serious worries?
How distressed were you by these stressors, changes or losses?
Are you planning anything major during your pregnancy/in the coming months?
How do you cope with stress in your life?
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Not Just the Blues: PNDA
Sample Psychosocial Assessment Questions
Difficult Adjustment to Pregnancy or Parental Role,
including Traumatic Birth Experience
Many times women find their birth experience emotional and take time to review it after the fact.
How was your birth experience?
How do you feel about your pregnancy/being a parent?
How is being pregnant / a parent the same or different than you imagined?
How did you feel when you found out about your pregnancy? How do you feel about your pregnancy/ being a parent now?
Tell me a little about your birth experience.
How is being pregnant/a parent the same or different than you imagined?
Generally, do you consider yourself a confident person? Would you consider yourself a worrier?
How upset do you become if you do not have order in your life (e.g., regular time table, a tidy house)
You may also want to explore:
High or unrealistic/perfectionistic expectations of pregnancy and parenting
Excessive anxiety during pregnancy
Difficult or traumatic birth experience
Breastfeeding/chestfeeding challenges
Sleep deprivation
Infant with health problems or perceived difficult temperament
Maternal age
Emotional And Practical Support
Do you have someone you are able to talk to about your feelings or worries?
How does your partner/family feel about your pregnancy/baby?
How will they help you when you go home with your baby?
How will your partner be involved with looking after the baby and supporting you in this experience?
Tell me about the people in your life who will be a part of this pregnancy/parenting experience?
Have you talked to them about what you need/will need to support you with this experience?
Tell me about the support that you will receive in looking after yourself and your baby?
Do you feel that you will people to depend on to help you look after your baby?
What have you learned about resources in your community for pregnant and parenting women/people?
Are you interested in exploring strategies to strengthen the support in your life?
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Not Just the Blues: PNDA
Sample Psychosocial Assessment Questions
History of Family Conflict / Violence
How would you describe the relationship with your parents/partner?
How do you think this relationship will change after the birth?
Now that you’re having a child of your own, you make think more about your own childhood and what it was like.
As a child did you feel safe and loved?
How were you disciplined as a child? Were you ever spanked?
How do you think you will discipline your child?
How do you deal with your kids at home when they misbehave?
Do you have any children not living with you? Tell me more about that.
How do you and your partner solve problems?
Are you afraid of anyone in your family? Do you feel safe at home/to go home when you leave here?
Are your children safe? Are you worried about your child/children’s safety?
Would you like assistance with this?
Substance Use or Process Addictions (tobacco, alcohol, drug use, gambling)
Do you currently smoke cigarettes/use tobacco/use drugs/gamble? If yes, how often/how many per day?
How do you feel about your use? Is there anything you want to change?
Have you ever considered cutting down or stopping?
Does your partner smoke/use tobacco/drugs, gamble?
Note: You may also want to use the TWEAK questionnaire as part of your assessment of substance use issues.
Conversation closers
How are you feeling about our conversation? Is there anything else that you would like to talk about today?
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