Standardized Patient Case: Anne Mercer, Postpartum Depression

Abstract

Abstract This standardized patient case was designed as a formative educational experience to enhance medical trainees' skills in psychiatric interviewing and case formulation. This case provides an opportunity for trainees to interview a patient with a common psychiatric complaint, postpartum depression. The encounter allows students to gain familiarity with symptoms of depression including depressed mood, low energy, and some passive thoughts of death. Students have an opportunity to hone their skills in addressing “difficult” topics, including suicide. Students interview the standardized patient for 20 minutes while being observed (on live video feed) by a faculty member and a peer (a fellow student on the rotation). All encounters are also recorded for later review by student and/or faculty. In general, students and faculty have found the case to be an excellent learning tool for the development of both medical knowledge about postpartum depression and clinical skills including psychiatric interviewing and safety assessments. No formal study has yet been conducted on the reliability of the checklists. The checklists have primarily served as self-assessment tools for the students. Future work will focus on comparing student checklists with those completed by the standardized patient, as well as an outside observer.

Keywords

• Suicide
• Mental Status Examination
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Postpartum Depression