The Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS)

Over the past month, how often have you experienced the following?
Please tick the response that most closely describes your experience for every question.
1. I have felt unable to juggle motherhood with my other responsibilities.
2. I have worried more about my relationship with my family than before my baby was born.
3. I have worried about accidentally harming my baby.
4. I have worried about how I will cope with my baby when others are not around to support me.
5. I have felt that I do not get enough support.
6. I have been less able to concentrate on simple tasks than before my baby was born.
7. I have felt that I should not need help to look after my baby.
8. I have felt frightened when my baby is not with me.
9. I have worried I will not know what to do when my baby cries.
10. I have worried more about my relationship with my partner than before my baby was born.
11. I have worried that my baby feels more content in someone else's care.
12. I have felt isolated from my family and friends.
13. I have worried about my baby's weight.
14. I have worried about getting my baby into a routine.
15. I have worried that I will become too ill to care for my baby.
16. I have worried about my baby being accidentally harmed by someone or something.
17. I have felt unconfident or incapable of meeting my baby's basic care needs.
18. I have worried about being unable to settle my baby.
19. I have felt a greater need to do things in a certain way or order than before my baby was born.
20. I have had negative thoughts about my relationship with my baby.
21. I have worried more about my relationship with my friends than before my baby was born.
22. I have thought of ways to avoid exposing my baby to germs.
23. I have worried that my baby is less content than other babies.
24. I have felt that other mothers are coping with their babies better than me.
25. I have felt that I am not the parent I want to be.
26. I have worried more about completing household chores than before my baby was born.
27. I have not taken part in an everyday activity with my baby because I fear they may come to harm.
28. I have worried about my baby's milk intake.
29. I have felt that I have had less control over my day than before my baby was born.
30. I have worried more about my finances than before my baby was born.
31. I have worried about my baby's health even after reassurance from others.
32. I have felt that when I do get help it is not beneficial.
33. I have worried that my baby will stop breathing while sleeping.
34. I have used the internet for reassurance about my baby's health.
35. I have worried about leaving my baby in a childcare setting.
36. I have felt that my baby would be better cared for by someone else.
37. I have worried that I am not going to get enough sleep.
38. I have felt that motherhood is much harder than I expected.
39. I have worried that my baby is picking up on my anxieties.
40. I have worried about the bond that I have with my baby.
41. I have worried about the length of time that my baby sleeps.
42. I have worried about returning to work.
43. I have worried more about my appearance than before my baby was born.
44. I have had difficulty sleeping even when I have had the chance to.
45. I have worried that other people think that my parenting skills are inadequate.
46. I have worried that my partner finds me less attractive than before my baby was born.
47. I have worried that my baby is not developing as quickly as other babies.
48. I have felt resentment towards my partner.
49. I have worried about the way that I feed my baby.
50. I have repeatedly checked on my sleeping baby.
51. I have felt tired even after a good amount of rest.

Fallon, V. et al. (2016) ‘The Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale: development and preliminary validation’. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 19(6), 1079–1090

We have obtained permission from the PSAS authors to make this scale available for women experiencing symptoms. If you would like to use this scale for research/clinical purposes, please contact the PSAS working group directly at [email protected]. The scale is available under a CC-BY-NC-ND licence which means that it can’t be used, modified, or commercialised without explicit permission.