Leveraging artificial intelligence in the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety among perinatal women in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Aim The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is gaining traction in maternal mental health (MMH) research. Despite its growing usage, little is known about its prospects and challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aims to systematically review articles on the role of AI in addressing MMH in LMICs. Methods This systematic review adopts a patient and public involvement approach to investigate the role of AI in predicting, diagnosing or treating perinatal depression and anxiety (PDA) among perinatal women in LMICs. Seven databases were searched for studies that reported on AI tools/methods for PDA published between January 2010 and July 2024. Eligible studies were identified and extracted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using Covidence, and the data were synthesised using thematic analysis. Results Out of 2203 studies, 19 studies across eight countries were deemed eligible for extraction and synthesis. The review revealed that the supervised machine learning method was the most common AI approach and was used to improve the early detection of depression and anxiety among perinatal women. Additionally, postpartum depression was the most frequently investigated MMH condition in this study. Further, the review revealed only three conversational agents (CAs)/chatbots used to deliver psychological treatment. Conclusions The findings underscore the potential of AI-based methods in identifying risk factors and delivering psychological treatment for PDA. Future research should investigate the underlying mechanisms of the effectiveness of AI-based chatbots/CAs and assess the long-term effects for diagnosed mothers, to aid the improvement of MMH in LMICs.