California’s Maternal and Infant Health Assessment (MIHA) – Research

The MIHA survey has included questions about maternal
depression from 2003-2008. Questions varied over the years, and have included: 

• A basic single question on feeling sad, blue or depressed
  for 2 or more weeks at a time during pregnancy, with a separate question
  pertaining to after pregnancy;
• An additional question to make a 2-question screen, with the
  second question regarding losing interest in things that respondent usually
  enjoyed asked about during pregnancy, and asking later during the postpartum
  period;
• A question on diminished ability to perform usual activities
  because of emotional problems such as depression or lack of interest during
  pregnancy;
• The 11-question Iowa Short Form of the CES-D depression
  screening tool asked in regard to the postpartum period;
• A question on health provider screening for depression
  during pregnancy;
• A question on health provider referral to a counselor for
  depression during pregnancy and;
• The same questions on provider screening and provider
  referral for postpartum.

Additional related questions have included:

• Mental
  health in general just before getting pregnant, and during pregnancy;
• Happiness
  about finding she was pregnant;
• How
  happy a time the pregnancy was;
• Whether
  she had emotional support during the pregnancy;
• Questions
  about various hardships during the pregnancy, such as losing her job when
  she wanted to keep it, or someone close to her becoming incarcerated;
• Intimate
  partner emotional or physical violence before, during, and after
  pregnancy; and
• Sense
  of control over her life

The California Women’s Health Survey (CWHS) has also
included a number of questions over the years that are related to mental
health. Mental health was also included in our preconception health report:

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/healthyliving/childfamily/Documents/MO-PreconceptionHealthOct07.pdf