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A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from Israel and the US has revealed the potential of a novel artificial intelligence (AI) model to detect signs of childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CB-PTSD) in women, offering a promising avenue for early diagnosis and intervention.
CB-PTSD, a condition affecting approximately eight million individuals worldwide who give birth annually, poses significant challenges due to its impact on maternal mental health and well-being. Current diagnostic methods rely on physician evaluations, which can be time-consuming and costly, delaying crucial interventions.
Untreated CB-PTSD can have profound implications, including difficulties with breastfeeding, bonding with the infant, and even affecting the desire for future pregnancies. Moreover, the condition has been linked to exacerbating maternal depression, potentially leading to an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among affected women.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study showcased the efficacy of AI in identifying individuals with CB-PTSD and those at risk. The research involved 1,295 postpartum participants who completed a questionnaire assessing CB-PTSD symptoms and provided brief narratives describing their childbirth experiences.
Researchers, hailing from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in the US, trained an AI model using a subset of narratives from participants who exhibited high scores on the CB-PTSD questionnaire.
“Overall, the model correctly identified the narratives of participants who were likely to have CB-PTSD because they scored high on the questionnaire,” the researchers noted.
This groundbreaking development offers a streamlined approach to identifying CB-PTSD symptoms, potentially revolutionizing the diagnostic process and enabling timely interventions to support affected individuals. By leveraging AI technology, healthcare professionals may be equipped with a powerful tool to enhance mental health outcomes for postpartum women worldwide.
As the research progresses, further validation and refinement of the AI model hold the promise of improving early detection and intervention strategies for CB-PTSD, ultimately enhancing the well-being of mothers and their infants during the critical postpartum period.
