What symptom is NOT encompassed within the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS)?

The Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) is designed to evaluate specific symptoms associated with postpartum depression, which primarily include emotional and psychological aspects affecting new mothers after childbirth. The scale is structured to identify symptoms that are common and reflective of the experiences of many women during this period.

The symptom of physical aggression falls outside the primary focus of the PDSS. While postpartum depression can manifest through a wide range of emotional challenges, including feelings of anxiety, loss of appetite, and issues related to identity or self-perception, aggressive behavior is not a central feature of postpartum depression as defined within the parameters of this screening tool.

Instead, the PDSS emphasizes symptoms that relate to mood disturbances, feelings of hopelessness, emotional fatigue, and self-esteem issues, all of which are crucial to understanding and recognizing postpartum depression. Physical aggression does not fit the established parameters of emotional and psychological distress that the PDSS aims to capture, therefore making it the symptom that is not encompassed within this specific screening scale.