Wearable devices for individuals with depression and anxiety to improve diagnosis and

intervention thereby reducing hospital visits.

Pooja Rani Goranakonda

University of Denver University College

April 18th , 2023

Faculty: Everett Costa

Director: Jeffrey Weide, DBA, FACHE, PMP

Dean: Michael J. McGuire, MLS

From my personal experience and the fact that depression, one of the most common

mental illnesses of our time, has hurt many people physically and psychologically and is now

the main cause of disability worldwide, I believe I am more interested in this topic. (Lee et

al.,2021) The technological aspect of the subject also intrigues me because it will be useful

for my future professional goals.

Problem Statement and Proposed Thesis Statement -

The use of wearable technology in the field of depression is not without its

difficulties. It is challenging to evaluate subjective mood symptoms; for instance, wearable

technology is primarily used to monitor physiological data and has limits when evaluating

subjective symptoms. (Lee et al.,2021)

Thesis statement:

If patients with a diagnosis of depression use wearable devices to measure

symptoms like heart rate variability (HRV), physical activity measured by an accelerometer,

healthcare providers can identify adverse effects sooner OR improve treatment with

counselling and medication sooner OR can reduce emergency visits or events by enabling
continuous and objective monitoring of patients.

Thesis statement aims at improving treatment and reducing emergency visits which

relates to the research question of improving diagnosis thereby providing cost effective

treatment to individuals with depression and anxiety.

Goals and Objectives

My research aims to leverage wearable technology to provide low-cost therapy,

early detection, and intervention for depression and anxiety. The wearables' data, which

track steps, heart rate, energy levels, and sleep to aid in early intervention, are used to

examine a person's physical activity, sleeping patterns, and circadian cycles. (Lee et al.,2021)
My purpose statement, which incorporates both my thesis and research questions,

encapsulates the driving force for my research.

Preliminary Literature Review

Among the many mental diseases with a high worldwide prevalence are anxiety and

depression. According to estimates, 19% of individuals globally experienced sadness or

anxiety in 2020, which kept them from carrying out their regular daily activities for about

two weeks. Electronic equipment that may be worn on the body is referred to as wearable

technology. This is accomplished by continually monitoring physiological variables such body

temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, respiratory rate, physical activity, and

skin, heart, and brain activity. Many metrics acquired in real-time by wearable technology

can be used to diagnose and track individuals with anxiety and depression, helping to

identify their symptoms..(Abd-alrazaq et al., 2023). Smartphone and wearable technology

may provide a special stream of information to identify changes in risk variables linked to

mental illnesses on the go, circumventing many of the drawbacks of conventional screening

techniques. (Moshe et al., 2021). The databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, and

PsycINFO were searched to find studies that employed wearable technology and smart

devices to detect or monitor stress, anxiety, or depression.(Hickey et al.,2021). Wearable

lowering anxiety disorders (AD).(Elgendi et al., 2023). The most promising method for

identifying PAs during the patient's everyday activities is through wearable technology.

Most of the time, patients can wear smartwatches, rings, or headsets. Another six papers in

a review that employed wearable sensors and ECG data to assess PD. (Tsai et al., 2022) The

goals of this scoping review are to assess the benefits of the devices for providing remote

psychological assistance and to synthesize the research about the extensive effects of

COVID-19 on mental health. (Ueafuea et al., 2021).

The likelihood of owning and using digital devices for healthcare among people with

mental problems was comparable to that of the general population. (Onyeaka et al.,2021).

Evaluated the viability of employing a wearable, consumer friendly HRVB device in

(Chung et al., 2021). Tracking depression symptoms has shown some promise using mobile

and wearable technology. (Sequeira et al., 2020).

Wearable sensors can be used as a clinical auxiliary and can collect objective data

that might provide light on someone's mental health. This information can be categorized as

being connected to social behavior, GPS tracking, physical activity, sleep habits, or other

things. (Koinis et al.,2022).

Project Description

Part One: Design of Project

I will employ a mixed-method approach that combines both quantitative and

qualitative data collecting and analysis. This strategy is really flexible to my project because

I'll be using wearable technology to collect quantitative data and current literature for much

of the qualitative data. According to the traditional approach I was thinking of designing a

study with two groups, one receiving the wearable, one not receiving the wearable, and

compare outcomes. Method considered after looking into the databases is a retrospective
study of depression, especially in cases where wearable technology was employed. By

utilising the secondary sources which includes published literature.

Part Two: Data Collection

I'm thinking of adopting a qualitative and quantitative design and methodology in my

research project. My data source will be published literature where people who used

wearable technology to detect depression and anxiety early on and how they feel before

and after the use wearable. Participants who have been given a current depression

diagnosis and are using wearable technology as part of their therapy will make up the

sample size of this study. I want to gather information for this project that are focused on

helping people understand how wearable technology affects their everyday life and how to
properly manage their conditions without having to visit a doctor's office regularly for

check-ups. I'll also utilize secondary sources, including published literature, to support my

claims on how wearable technology might improve diagnosis and lower healthcare

expenses.

Part Three: Data Analysis and Application

Includes both Qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Quantitative data analysis

as the data - I have chosen constitutes parameters after analyzing their physical exercise,

sleeping habits, and circadian, whose data are acquired from wearable devices measuring

steps, pulse rate, energy, and sleep. HRV is frequently assessed using

photoplethysmography (PPG), which illuminates the skin and measures how much light is

transmitted or reflected from it in order to identify changes in microvascular perfusion.

Heart rate variability (HRV), which is defined as spontaneous fluctuations in heart rate that

primarily reflect the activity of the autonomic system, is reduced in patients with

depression, even in the absence of concurrent cardiovascular disease. These parameters are

measure in numbers hence I've used quantitative data analysis. I will leverage qualitative

data from recent literature reviews. Quantitative data may be effectively analysed using

statistical techniques like regression analysis or t-tests, but qualitative content or thematic
analyses can provide a deeper understanding of the information gathered by seeing

patterns in the data.

Anticipated Challenges or Problems

Challenge would be collection of data through the methods mentioned above and

skills required to analyse data. The use of wearable technology in the field of depression is

not without its difficulties. It is challenging to evaluate subjective mood symptoms; for

instance, wearable technology is primarily used to monitor physiological data and has limits

when evaluating subjective symptoms. (Lee et al.,2021)

Possible Project Outcomes or Anticipated Results

technology can lower hospital visits, improve diagnosis and intervention by relieving

symptoms for those with depression and anxiety. A report that evaluates the information

gathered through surveys and secondary sources, such as published literature, is the

intended output of this research. This report should include insights into the wearable

device's user experience, its effect on important outcomes including early diagnosis,

enhanced intervention, and counselling, as well as any design changes that may be made to

increase its utility. The ultimate objective is to determine whether using wearable

technology may enhance the delivery of high-quality care while saving money on

unnecessary treatments, making it a useful tool for controlling depression and anxiety.

References:

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(2022).

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