A Survey on Wearable Sensors for Mental Health Monitoring

Sensors (Basel). 2023 Jan 25;23(3):1330. doi: 10.3390/s23031330.

Abstract

Mental illness, whether it is medically diagnosed or undiagnosed, affects a large proportion of the population. It is one of the causes of extensive disability, and f not properly treated, it can lead to severe emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems. In most mental health research studies, the focus is on treatment, but fewer resources are focused on technical solutions to mental health issues. The present paper carried out a systematic review of available literature using PRISMA guidelines to address various monitoring solutions in mental health through the use of wearable sensors. Wearable sensors can offer several advantages over traditional methods of mental health assessment, including convenience, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to capture data in real-world settings. Their ability to collect data related to anxiety and stress levels, as well as panic attacks, is discussed. The available sensors on the market are described, as well as their success in providing data that can be correlated with the aforementioned health issues. The current wearable landscape is quite dynamic, and the current offerings have enough quality to deliver meaningful data targeted for machine learning algorithms. The results indicate that mental health monitoring is feasible.

Keywords: anxiety; biomarkers in psychiatry; biosensors; mental health; monitoring; panic disorder; stress; wearable sensor review; wearables.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Emotions
  • Machine Learning
  • Mental Health
  • Wearable Electronic Devices*