Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning models

Abstract Background Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health issue. This study aimed to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models using biopsychosocial predictors to predict the risk of PPD for perinatal women and to provide several risk assessment tools for the early detec...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Weijing Qi, Yongjian Wang, Yipeng Wang, Sha Huang, Cong Li, Haoyu Jin, Jinfan Zuo, Xuefei Cui, Ziqi Wei, Qing Guo, Jie Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Translational Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-025-06289-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850028031748341760
author Weijing Qi
Yongjian Wang
Yipeng Wang
Sha Huang
Cong Li
Haoyu Jin
Jinfan Zuo
Xuefei Cui
Ziqi Wei
Qing Guo
Jie Hu
author_facet Weijing Qi
Yongjian Wang
Yipeng Wang
Sha Huang
Cong Li
Haoyu Jin
Jinfan Zuo
Xuefei Cui
Ziqi Wei
Qing Guo
Jie Hu
author_sort Weijing Qi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health issue. This study aimed to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models using biopsychosocial predictors to predict the risk of PPD for perinatal women and to provide several risk assessment tools for the early detection of PPD. Methods Candidate predictors, including history of mental illness and demographic, psychosocial, and physiological factors, were obtained from 1138 perinatal women between August 2021 and August 2022. The primary outcome of PPD was measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 6 weeks postpartum. Seven feature selection methods and six ML algorithms were employed to develop models, and their prediction performances were compared. Results A total of 11 potential predictive factors associated with PPD were identified and subsequently used to construct prenatal and postpartum predictive models for PPD. The cross-validation results showed that the models built on logistic regression (LR) [area under the curve (AUC): 0.801, 0.858] and artificial neural network (ANN) (AUC: 0.787, 0.844) algorithms exhibited the best prediction performance. In contrast to the prenatal models, the addition of postpartum predictors (primary caregiver and mother-in-law’s care) remarkably improved the predictive performance of the postpartum models. The risk-stratification score, the nomogram, and the Shapley additive explanation were used to visualize and interpret the risk prediction model for predicting PPD in the early stage. Conclusions The LR and ANN models achieved the best predictive performances. Applying these models and risk assessment tools to early predict and screen PPD has several implications for public health. Graphical Abstract
format Article
id doaj-art-c1c5c47afd1844368dc5cc0c5004e1b3
institution DOAJ
issn 1479-5876
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Journal of Translational Medicine
spelling doaj-art-c1c5c47afd1844368dc5cc0c5004e1b32025-08-20T02:59:57ZengBMCJournal of Translational Medicine1479-58762025-03-0123111810.1186/s12967-025-06289-6Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning modelsWeijing Qi0Yongjian Wang1Yipeng Wang2Sha Huang3Cong Li4Haoyu Jin5Jinfan Zuo6Xuefei Cui7Ziqi Wei8Qing Guo9Jie Hu10Humanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuang Obstetrics and Gynecology HospitalHumanistic Care and Health Management Innovation Center, School of Nursing, Hebei Medical UniversityAbstract Background Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health issue. This study aimed to develop and validate machine learning (ML) models using biopsychosocial predictors to predict the risk of PPD for perinatal women and to provide several risk assessment tools for the early detection of PPD. Methods Candidate predictors, including history of mental illness and demographic, psychosocial, and physiological factors, were obtained from 1138 perinatal women between August 2021 and August 2022. The primary outcome of PPD was measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 6 weeks postpartum. Seven feature selection methods and six ML algorithms were employed to develop models, and their prediction performances were compared. Results A total of 11 potential predictive factors associated with PPD were identified and subsequently used to construct prenatal and postpartum predictive models for PPD. The cross-validation results showed that the models built on logistic regression (LR) [area under the curve (AUC): 0.801, 0.858] and artificial neural network (ANN) (AUC: 0.787, 0.844) algorithms exhibited the best prediction performance. In contrast to the prenatal models, the addition of postpartum predictors (primary caregiver and mother-in-law’s care) remarkably improved the predictive performance of the postpartum models. The risk-stratification score, the nomogram, and the Shapley additive explanation were used to visualize and interpret the risk prediction model for predicting PPD in the early stage. Conclusions The LR and ANN models achieved the best predictive performances. Applying these models and risk assessment tools to early predict and screen PPD has several implications for public health. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-025-06289-6Postpartum depressionMachine learningPredictive factorsPrediction model
spellingShingle Weijing Qi
Yongjian Wang
Yipeng Wang
Sha Huang
Cong Li
Haoyu Jin
Jinfan Zuo
Xuefei Cui
Ziqi Wei
Qing Guo
Jie Hu
Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning models
Journal of Translational Medicine
Postpartum depression
Machine learning
Predictive factors
Prediction model
title Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning models
title_full Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning models
title_fullStr Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning models
title_full_unstemmed Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning models
title_short Prediction of postpartum depression in women: development and validation of multiple machine learning models
title_sort prediction of postpartum depression in women development and validation of multiple machine learning models
topic Postpartum depression
Machine learning
Predictive factors
Prediction model
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-025-06289-6
work_keys_str_mv AT weijingqi predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT yongjianwang predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT yipengwang predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT shahuang predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT congli predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT haoyujin predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT jinfanzuo predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT xuefeicui predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT ziqiwei predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT qingguo predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels
AT jiehu predictionofpostpartumdepressioninwomendevelopmentandvalidationofmultiplemachinelearningmodels