Smartwatches Can Offer Valuable Insights into Depression Symptoms
New York, Feb 23 (IANS) – A recent study has found that smartwatches may be able to provide mental health clinicians with important information about depression symptoms. According to Joshua Curtiss, Assistant Professor of applied psychology at Northeastern University, wearable technology is part of precision medicine that can help clinicians better tailor treatment for their patients.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, used data from anonymised patients at Massachusetts General Hospital who wore the Empatica E3 wristband to track sleep, acceleration, movement, heart rate variability, and other physiological indicators. The researchers found that alterations in sleep patterns, lack of physical activity, and social isolation, all symptoms of depression, can be tracked using wearable technology in the form of digital watches and smartphones.
“I think passive sensor data can offer an incredible tool for getting more information that otherwise is really difficult to get,” Curtiss said. “This is not to supersede clinical judgment. We combine (sensor) information with our clinical judgment and what the patients are telling us to get a full picture.”
He also emphasized that while patient accounts are important, it is normal for patients to underreport or overreport symptoms, which is where passive sensor data can greatly reduce the burden of patient self-reporting symptoms via multiple questionnaires.
In addition to providing valuable insights into a patient’s mental health status, passive sensor data can also help clinicians get up to speed more quickly on a new patient’s condition. “The purpose of this type of research was to figure out if we can use passive sensor data to predict the things we care about — to see if it is associated with changes in depression severity or symptom severity,” Curtiss explained.
In conclusion, smartwatches and other wearable technology could be used as a valuable tool in combination with clinical judgment and patient accounts to provide a more comprehensive picture of a patient’s mental health. This has the potential to revolutionize the way mental health clinicians understand and treat depression.
–IANS
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