Digital Doula Interventions for Perinatal Mental Health: Integrating AI and Remote Support in Neuropsychiatric Care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/a7xak094Keywords:
Digital Doula, Perinatal Mental Health, Artificial Intelligence, Tele-Neuropsychiatry, Precision PsychiatryAbstract
Perinatal mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress following childbirth, represent significant neuropsychiatric challenges affecting maternal and infant well-being. Traditional doula support has shown measurable benefits in reducing psychological distress and improving emotional outcomes during childbirth. Recent advancements in digital health have introduced the concept of digital doulas-AI-enhanced, telehealth, or mobile-based systems designed to provide continuous emotional and informational support to birthing individuals. This review synthesizes current evidence on digital doula interventions and their impact on perinatal mental health through the lens of neuropsychiatry. We examine how emerging technologies-such as artificial intelligence, digital biomarkers, predictive modeling, and tele-neuropsychiatry-can extend the reach and precision of doula care. Furthermore, we discuss the neuropsychiatric mechanisms underlying digital emotional support, including stress regulation, oxytocin-mediated bonding, and neural plasticity, alongside ethical and cultural considerations in deploying AI-driven maternal support systems. By integrating neuroscience, psychiatry, and digital innovation, digital doula interventions offer a promising frontier for precision mental healthcare in perinatal populations.
References
[1]U. Stentzel, H. J. Grabe, S. Schmidt, S. Tomczyk, N. van den Berg, and A. Beyer, “Mental health-related telemedicine interventions for pregnant women and new mothers: a systematic literature review,” BMC Psychiatry, vol. 23, no. 1, p. 292, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-04790-0.
[2]C. Guille, N. Henrich, A. K. Brinson, and H. R. Jahnke, “Improving the Management of Maternal Mental Health with Digital Health Care,” Psychiatr Res Clin Pract, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 23–32, 2024, doi: 10.1176/appi.prcp.20230035.
[3]J. Quiray et al., “The role of doulas in supporting perinatal mental health - a qualitative study,” Front Psychiatry, vol. 15, p. 1272513, 2024, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1272513.
[4]W. H. Kwok, Y. Zhang, and G. Wang, “Artificial intelligence in perinatal mental health research: A scoping review,” Comput Biol Med, vol. 177, p. 108685, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108685.
[5]K. Ramey-Collier, M. Jackson, A. Malloy, C. McMillan, A. Scraders-Pyatt, and S. M. Wheeler, “Doula Care: A Review of Outcomes and Impact on Birth Experience,” Obstet Gynecol Surv, vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 124–127, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1097/OGX.0000000000001103.
[6]A. Roddy Mitchell et al., “Prevalence of Perinatal Depression in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” JAMA Psychiatry, vol. 80, no. 5, pp. 425–431, May 2023, doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.0069.
[7]Y. Wang et al., “The effect of digital health intervention on perinatal negative emotions: A meta-analysis,” J Affect Disord, vol. 391, p. 120003, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120003.
[8]S. R. M. Arifin et al., “An evaluation of digital intervention for perinatal depression and anxiety: A systematic review,” AIMS Public Health, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 499–525, 2024, doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2024025.
[9]J. A. Davis et al., “Perinatal Women’s Perspectives of, and Engagement in, Digital Emotional Well-Being Training: Mixed Methods Study,” J Med Internet Res, vol. 25, p. e46852, Oct. 2023, doi: 10.2196/46852.
[10]S. Karwa, H. Jahnke, A. Brinson, N. Shah, C. Guille, and N. Henrich, “Association Between Doula Use on a Digital Health Platform and Birth Outcomes,” Obstet Gynecol, vol. 143, no. 2, pp. 175–183, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005465.
[11]S. Liblub, K. Pringle, K. McLaughlin, and A. Cummins, “Peer support and mobile health for perinatal mental health: A scoping review,” Birth, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 484–496, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1111/birt.12814.
[12]E. Mancinelli, G. Dell’Arciprete, D. Pattarozzi, S. Gabrielli, and S. Salcuni, “Digital Behavioral Activation Interventions During the Perinatal Period: Scoping Review,” JMIR Pediatr Parent, vol. 6, p. e40937, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.2196/40937.
[13]P. Cruz-Gonzalez et al., “Artificial intelligence in mental health care: a systematic review of diagnosis, monitoring, and intervention applications,” Psychol Med, vol. 55, p. e18, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.1017/S0033291724003295.
[14]M. L. Mefrouche, E.-M. Siegmann, S. Böhme, M. Berking, and J. Kornhuber, “The Effect of Digital Mindfulness Interventions on Depressive, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ, vol. 13, no. 9, pp. 1694–1706, Sep. 2023, doi: 10.3390/ejihpe13090122.
[15]M. Oancea, Ștefan Strilciuc, D. B. Borza, R. Ciortea, D. Diculescu, and D. Mihu, “Neurobiological and Behavioral Underpinnings of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs): A Selective Narrative Review,” J Clin Med, vol. 13, no. 7, p. 2088, Apr. 2024, doi: 10.3390/jcm13072088.
[16]A. Horáková, H. Němcová, P. Mohr, and A. Sebela, “Structural, functional, and metabolic signatures of postpartum depression: A systematic review,” Front Psychiatry, vol. 13, p. 1044995, 2022, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1044995.
[17]E. Barba-Müller, S. Craddock, S. Carmona, and E. Hoekzema, “Brain plasticity in pregnancy and the postpartum period: links to maternal caregiving and mental health,” Arch Womens Ment Health, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 289–299, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.1007/s00737-018-0889-z.
[18]G. Cattarinussi et al., “Neuropsychological performance in women at risk of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis,” Arch Womens Ment Health, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 55–65, Feb. 2025, doi: 10.1007/s00737-024-01510-9.
[19]Y. Wu, J. De Asis-Cruz, and C. Limperopoulos, “Brain structural and functional outcomes in the offspring of women experiencing psychological distress during pregnancy,” Mol Psychiatry, vol. 29, no. 7, pp. 2223–2240, Jul. 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0.
[20]M. de Wet et al., “Systematic review of ethical issues in perinatal mental health research,” Nurs Ethics, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 482–499, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.1177/09697330231153683.
[21]C. Blease and A. Rodman, “Generative Artificial Intelligence in Mental Healthcare: An Ethical Evaluation,” Curr Treat Options Psych, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 5, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1007/s40501-024-00340-x.
[22]T. Tavory, “Regulating AI in Mental Health: Ethics of Care Perspective,” JMIR Ment Health, vol. 11, p. e58493, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.2196/58493.
[23]I. S. Anyanwu and J. Jenkins, “Effectiveness of digital health interventions for perinatal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” Oxf Open Digit Health, vol. 2, p. oqae026, 2024, doi: 10.1093/oodh/oqae026.
[24]M. Zimmermann et al., “Developing personas to inform the design of digital interventions for perinatal mental health,” JAMIA Open, vol. 7, no. 4, p. ooae112, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae112.
[25]M. Oguchi, E. Furukawa, N. Nagahama, K. D. Perera, and G. Tripp, “Relationships between experimental task and questionnaire measures of reward/punishment sensitivity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): protocol for a scoping review,” BMJ Open, vol. 14, no. 2, p. e078026, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078026.
[26]D. K. Espino Carrasco et al., “Sustainability of AI-Assisted Mental Health Intervention: A Review of the Literature from 2020-2025,” Int J Environ Res Public Health, vol. 22, no. 9, p. 1382, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.3390/ijerph22091382.
[27]M. Ferrante, C. Vecchio, P. Rapisarda, and G. Oliveri Conti, “Use of artificial intelligence to improve perinatal mental health: a systematic review,” European Journal of Public Health, vol. 35, no. Supplement_4, p. ckaf161.1930, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf161.1930.
[28]H. Wu and M. D. Li, “Digital psychiatry: concepts, framework, and implications,” Front Psychiatry, vol. 16, p. 1572444, 2025, doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1572444.
[29]Y. Shin, “Toward Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence for Users’ Digital Well-Being: Systematic Review, Synthesis, and Future Directions,” JMIR Hum Factors, vol. 12, p. e69533, Sep. 2025, doi: 10.2196/69533.
[30]Aisha Katsina Isa, “Exploring digital therapeutics for mental health: AI-driven innovations in personalized treatment approaches,” World J. Adv. Res. Rev., vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 2733–2749, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.3.3997.
[31]J. W. Erickson, A. M. Silva, M. R. Murthy, I. Fita, and M. G. Rossmann, “The structure of a T = 1 icosahedral empty particle from southern bean mosaic virus,” Science, vol. 229, no. 4714, pp. 625–629, Aug. 1985, doi: 10.1126/science.4023701.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Xinduo Gao, Hanqing Li, Liya Jiang, Huihui Jia, Jianguo Ding, Dongkai Wang, Hongxiao Du, Cheng Chang (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
