AI for Detecting and Predicting Postpartum Depression: Scoping Review

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects up to 20% of mothers globally. Early detection is vital for better outcomes, yet screening lacks scalability and predictive power. Artificial intelligence (AI)-through machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing-enhances the early identification of mothers at risk with greater accuracy.

This study aims to systematically map the existing literature on AI-based methods for detecting and predicting PPD.

This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. We included empirical studies that applied AI techniques to detect or predict PPD and were published in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, or dissertations. Studies were excluded if they were nonempirical (eg, reviews, editorials, and abstracts), not published in English, focused on general perinatal mental health without a specific emphasis on PPD, or used AI solely for monitoring or treatment rather than prediction or detection. We systematically searched 8 databases-MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Google Scholar-from inception through February 28, 2025. The search strategy was supplemented by backward and forward reference screening and biweekly alerts to capture newly published studies. Two independent (M [Alkhateeb] and A [Nayeem])reviewers (M [Alkhateeb] and A [Nayeem]) screened the retrieved studies, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer (AA [Alrazaq]). Data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers using a standardized extraction form capturing study characteristics, AI model types, data sources, features, preprocessing, validation strategies, and performance metrics. A formal risk-of-bias assessment was not performed due to the scoping nature of the review. All extracted data were synthesized narratively.

Out of 503 retrieved studies, 65 met the inclusion criteria. The United States contributed the largest proportion of studies (18/65, 27.7%). The highest number of publications occurred in 2024 (17/65, 26%). Most included studies were journal articles (46/65, 71%). Short-term postpartum outcomes (≤12 weeks) were most frequently assessed (20/65, 30.8%). Most included studies (52/65, 80%) applied AI models for predicting PPD, while 14 of 65 (22%) studies used them for detection. Sociodemographic data were most frequently used (49/65, 75.4%), followed by psychological data (44/65, 68%) and obstetric data (35/65, 55%). Data preprocessing mostly relied on basic scaling (51/65, 79%) and some missing data imputation (29/65, 44.6%). Machine learning dominated (57/65, 87.7%), especially random forest, support vector machines, and logistic regression. Internal validation (k-fold, hold-out) was standard, while external validation was scarce. Ensemble-based boosting models consistently demonstrated superior performance across key metrics, highlighting their potential for accurate and scalable PPD prediction. Current studies suffer from limited sample sizes, geographic bias, lack of standardized feature sets, minimal external validation, and inconsistent reporting of comprehensive model metrics.

This scoping review analyzes 65 studies on AI in PPD, highlighting dominant use of classical machine learning, limited deep learning adoption, underuse of advanced preprocessing, inconsistent validation, and reliance on structured, unimodal data-mainly sociodemographic, clinical, and obstetric features.