Exploring Mothers' Perspectives on Socially Assistive Robots in Peripartum Depression Screening

Abstract

Peripartum Depression (PPD) affects 8-15 percent of new mothers in Sweden every year; a majority of PPD cases go undetected, and only a small percentage receives adequate care. Social Assistive Robots (SARs) bring great potential for healthcare applications. Using SARs in healthcare tasks, for example PPD Screening, could reduce healthcare professionals' strain, by supporting them, without replacing them, in key roles. However, studies that investigate the possibility to utilize SARs in PPD screening are scarce. In this paper, we present an interview study with ten mothers with prior experience of PPD in relation to their pregnancy. The contributions from this work are twofold. First, we elicited participants' opinions and attitudes towards utilizing SARs in PPD screening. Second, we explored participants' expressed needs in PPD screening. From the participants' statements, we discovered potential scenarios which could address future patients' needs. These insights could be used as a foundation for the development of SARs in PPD screening and other mental healthcare applications, thus helping address PPD in women.