Original Research J Clin Psychiatry September 2026

Using Speech to Develop Multivariable Prediction Models for Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder During Pregnancy

JCP 2026;87(4):10.4088/JCP.26m16487

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in J Clin Psychiatry. Clinical Summary Depressive and anxiety disorders during pregnancy are common, consequential, and still hard to screen for reliably in routine care when time, training, and workflow are limited. This study tests whether speech collected during diagnostic interviews can identify major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder better than pregnancy and sociodemographic factors alone. FAQ Can speech predict major depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder during pregnancy?

Key Takeaways In this community sample, full-interview speech models performed substantially better than patient-only verified segments for major depressive disorder, with best F1-scores of 77.48% (±5.59) versus 45.05% (±24.84), suggesting that longer conversational samples may be important if speech screening is implemented in prenatal care. Clinical Guide How should clinicians use speech-based assessment when screening pregnant patients for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder?