Scientists created a fitness tracker for depression and anxiety disorders

December 11, 2018  10:30

A wearable device that dishes out insights about a person’s mental health is in the works. The hope is that it will help with screening, diagnosing and monitoring depression and a variety of anxiety disorders.

Mental health problems are a growing public health concern. It is estimated that about one in five American adults experience a mental illness in any given year. Approximately 1 in 25 experience a serious condition that interferes with major life activities. It is clear that many people will face a mental health issue at some point in their life.

These statistics certainly make grim reading. What’s even worse is that many individuals remain undiagnosed due to difficulties in recognizing symptoms. But researchers now believe they can quantify physical symptoms associated with such conditions, and use them to identify potential issues early.

A wearable for mental health and wellness, SysteMD (System with Sensors to Evaluate Mental Disorders), was developed by US engineering firm Draper. It consists of a headset, wrist bands and an ankle bracelet which combine to monitor heart rate, level of sweating, respiration and diameter of pupils. The data is collected and run through a set of algorithms to identify patterns which can be linked to mental health conditions.

Full article: gadgetsandwearables.com

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter


 
  • Video
 
 
  • Event calendar
 
 
  • Archive
 
  • Most read
 
  • Find us on Facebook
 
  • Poll
Are you aware that in 2027 medical insurance will become mandatory for all Armenian citizens?
I’m aware, and I'm in favor
I’m not aware, and I'm against
I'm aware, but I'm still undecided
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm in favor
I'm not aware, but in principle I'm against
It doesn't matter to me