Applications of artificial intelligence in emotion recognition in pediatrics health care: Scoping review

Comprehensive Summary

The scoping review examines how artificial intelligence is being used to recognize emotions in children and adolescents within pediatric health care settings. The authors reviewed existing research by carefully searching multiple scientific databases. Of the 136 articles they found, only 23 were relevant and summarized in the review. The authors found that AI emotion recognition tools commonly used facial analysis, voice recognition, physiological signals, and children’s drawings to assess emotional states. These technologies were used in several areas of pediatric care, including mental health, autism spectrum disorder interventions, communication support, and therapy. Many studies found that AI could detect emotions with reasonable accuracy and may help support earlier diagnosis and more personalized care. However, results varied between studies because many were small and lacked thorough validation.

Outcomes and Implications

This research is important because many children, especially those with developmental, cognitive, or communication limitations, struggle to express emotions, which can delay diagnosis and appropriate intervention. AI emotion recognition tools offer a novel way to objectively identify emotional distress and support early, personalized care. Clinically, these tools may assist healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, in emotional assessment, therapeutic decision making, and communication support, rather than replacing human judgment.