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The Science Chick Report: Evidence You Can Use for Real-World Women's Health

The Science Chick Report: Evidence You Can Use for Real-World Women's Health

By: Kathleen Kendall-Tackett
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 Hosted by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, The Science Chick Report brings women’s health research you can trust to the people holding it all together: birth workers, lactation consultants, doulas, midwives, mental health providers, and nurses. Every episode turns the latest science into practical tools, helping you advocate, recover, and stay grounded in the work you love, even when it feels like you’re doing it alone.Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • The Edinburgh Scale vs. PHQ: What’s Best for Postpartum Care

    The Edinburgh Scale vs. PHQ: What’s Best for Postpartum Care
    Feb 11 2026

    Choosing the right screening tool for postpartum depression is more than just a clinical decision — it’s a key step that impacts what happens next for new mothers. In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett walks through two of the most commonly used tools for identifying postpartum depression: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).

    Dr. Kendall-Tackett explains why these tools are more than just academic: their proper use directly affects the care that mothers receive. While screening scales help identify symptoms, what happens after a positive screen can determine whether a mother receives the support she needs or falls through the cracks. She also emphasizes the importance of understanding the limitations and benefits of these tools before use, especially in community-based settings.

    This episode is a call for healthcare providers to not only screen but also ensure that proper follow-up systems are in place. It’s about making sure mothers don’t face the frustration of an unmet expectation when they are vulnerable and in need of help.


    In This Episode:

    • [00:00:00] Introduction: The importance of choosing the right screening tools

    • [00:01:12] Why screening is a critical first step in postpartum care

    • [00:03:11] The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: Pros and cons

    • [00:05:37] Language and cultural barriers in using the Edinburgh scale

    • [00:07:00] The problem with reverse scoring and language confusion

    • [00:08:06] Using the Edinburgh three-item version for quick assessments

    • [00:10:05] PHQ-9: A more straightforward, reliable alternative

    • [00:12:07] How to use screening results: what happens next?

    • [00:13:15] Understanding anxiety and depression in postpartum women

    • [00:15:00] The challenge of limited resources in healthcare

    • [00:17:01] Community-based support and non-medical interventions

    • [00:19:32] The importance of planning follow-up after screening


    Notable Quotes

    • [01:34] “It’s not enough to just screen — you have to have a plan for what happens next.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [03:37] “The Edinburgh scale has been around for decades, but it still has issues, especially with language and scoring.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [05:21] “A screening scale is not the same as a diagnostic tool. It’s the first step, not the final answer.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [10:05] “The Edinburgh three-item version might be the best option for quick, on-the-go screening.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [13:15] “Even with limited resources, you can connect mothers to help — it’s all about knowing what services are available.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett


    Resource and Links

    The Science Chick Report

    • The Science Chick Report

    Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • Website

    • LinkedIn

    • X

    • Facebook

    • ResearchGate (upcoming paper)

    Mentioned

    • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale – Full vs. Three-Item Versions

    • Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

    • US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations

    • Moyer et al. (2023) – Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (US Version)

    • Cheryl Beck – Postpartum Depression Screening Scale

    • City Birth Trauma Scale

    • Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • The Screening Gap: Why Most Mothers Fall Through the Cracks

    The Screening Gap: Why Most Mothers Fall Through the Cracks
    Jan 28 2026

    What if improving perinatal mental health outcomes started not with treatment, but with asking the right questions — consistently and with a plan? And what if the real problem isn’t lack of evidence, but hesitation, fear, and vague guidelines?

    In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett focuses on one of the most essential yet neglected aspects of perinatal care: screening and assessment. This session explains why screening matters, why providers often avoid it, and what must be in place before screening can be effective.

    Dr. Kendall-Tackett breaks down common barriers — limited time, fear of “opening Pandora’s box,” lack of training, and uncertainty about next steps — and shows why relying on clinical judgment alone consistently fails to identify depression, anxiety, and PTSD. She contrasts vague U.S. screening recommendations with more specific international guidelines and highlights how poor implementation leads to missed opportunities for care.

    This episode reframes screening not as diagnosis, but as a gateway to support. For healthcare providers, community organizations, and anyone working with pregnant or postpartum women, it offers a practical, evidence-based case for why assessment must be intentional, planned, and followed by clear action.


    In This Episode:

    • [00:00:00] Introduction and why perinatal screening matters

    • [00:01:12] Screening vs. diagnosis: a critical distinction

    • [00:02:29] Why most new mothers are never screened

    • [00:03:11] Time constraints and real-world provider barriers

    • [00:04:41] Why screening without a follow-up plan fails

    • [00:08:06] Why providers miss depression without standardized tools

    • [00:10:05] U.S. vs. UK screening guidelines

    • [00:12:07] The “Pandora’s box” myth and institutional resistance

    • [00:13:15] Screening as an equity issue

    • [00:15:00] Pediatric settings as a missed screening opportunity

    • [00:21:00] Obstetric screening guidelines and persistent gaps

    • [00:26:41] What actually increases screening compliance


    Notable Quotes:

    • [01:34] “Screening is the first step. You can’t treat what you don’t identify.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [02:52] “Most healthcare providers never screen the millions of women who give birth each year.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [04:41] “It’s useless to screen if there isn’t a plan for what happens next.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [08:06] “Providers are spectacularly bad at identifying depression without a measure.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • [14:06] “Women who were screened were six times more likely to receive counseling.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett


    Resource and Links

    The Science Chick Report

    • The Science Chick Report

    Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

    • Website

    • LinkedIn

    • X

    • Facebook

    • ResearchGate (upcoming paper)

    Mentioned

    • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2013) – Screening strategies

    • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – Perinatal screening guidance

    • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK) – Screening recommendations

    • Lain et al. (2022) – Provider resistance to screening

    • Declercq et al. (2021) – Listening to Mothers in California

    • Rafferty et al. (2019) – AAP maternal mental health policy

    • Statistics Canada (2019) – Postpartum depression prevalence

    • Kim et al. (2009) – Obstetric screening practices
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • Military Sexual Trauma and the Silent Crisis in Perinatal Mental Health

    Military Sexual Trauma and the Silent Crisis in Perinatal Mental Health
    Jan 14 2026
    Do you know that simply serving in the military places women at significantly higher risk for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and adverse birth outcomes, even before combat exposure is considered? And do you know that one of the most powerful drivers of this risk is still rarely discussed in perinatal care?In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett shines a light on an overlooked public health crisis: the impact of military service, and specifically military sexual trauma, on perinatal mental health and birth outcomes. Drawing from large-scale studies, systematic reviews, and longitudinal data, she reveals just how profound these risks are for pregnant and postpartum veterans.Dr. Kendall-Tackett walks listeners through research showing extraordinarily high rates of prenatal and postpartum depression, PTSD, anxiety, preterm birth, and low birth weight among military women. She explains how trauma-related stress physiology affects pregnancy, why these outcomes persist even when controlling for other risk factors, and how military culture itself may contribute to vulnerability, even for women who were not directly assaulted.For healthcare providers, policymakers, and anyone working in women’s mental health, this episode is a call to move beyond treatment alone and begin addressing prevention, screening, and systemic change. For military mothers, it is validation and proof that these outcomes are not personal failures, but predictable responses to chronic stress and trauma.In This Episode:(00:00) Introduction and episode overview(01:06) Growth of women in the US military and vulnerability(02:11) Defining military sexual trauma (MST)(04:04) MST vs. combat exposure: mental health impact(05:18) Physical health consequences of MST(06:26) Review of studies on pregnancy outcomes(07:41) Study: harassment, assault, and mental health(10:04) Mental health outcomes by assault status(11:07) Study: MST, PTSD, and birth experience(12:17) Study: MST, combat, childhood trauma, and birth outcomes(13:31) Quantifying MST’s impact on birth weight and depression(14:38) Study: MST and mother-infant bonding(15:45) Call to action: addressing MST in guidelines(16:43) Betrayal trauma and military culture(17:42) Conclusion and further resourcesNotable Quotes:(02:37) “These papers, I actually have to admit, kind of blew my mind. I knew there was some increased vulnerability within this population, but I had no idea it was this high.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett(01:07) “We talk about treatment, but we’re not really talking about prevention and this is a population that is particularly vulnerable.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett(04:19) “Military sexual trauma can actually have an effect above and beyond the effect of combat exposure.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett(07:58) “71% of the women who were harassed, actually had depression, compared to 41% of the non-harassed women.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett(11:02) “Chronic activation of the stress system sends inflammatory messengers that directly affect pregnancy.” — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-TackettResource and LinksThe Science Chick ReportThe Science Chick Report Dr. Kathleen Kendall-TackettWebsiteLinkedInXFacebookResearchGate (upcoming paper)Mentioned Manzo (2024) – Military trauma and pregnancy outcomesGross et al. – Military sexual trauma and perinatal mental healthSchaefer et al. (2024) – PTSD, trauma, and birth experiencesNilny et al. (2022) – Military trauma, preterm birth, and depressionCreech et al. (2022) – Military sexual trauma and mother-infant bondingChikowsky (2017) – Long-term health outcomes in veterans
    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
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