Conversational AI for perinatal mental health: promise, limits, and a human-AI stepped-care framework (opens in new tab)

Perinatal mental health conditions are common yet persistently underdetected and undertreated. Recent advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI) and multimodal interaction offer new opportunities for scalable, continuous support, making the concept of the “digital doula” particularly compelling. Because perinatal care relies heavily on emotional support, repeated contact, and timely escalation, conversational AI is attractive as a potential adjunct to existing care. We argue that dig...