Can an mHealth Wearable Help College Students Deal With Stress?
Texas A&M University researchers are testing an mHealth platform that can synch with an off-the-shelf smartwatch to help college students identify when they're stressed and give them on-demand access to resources.
Source: ThinkStock
By - Researchers at Texas A&M University are piloting an mHealth wearable platform designed to alert the user to symptoms of stress and anxiety and provide links to resources.
Led by Farzan Sasangohar, an assistant professor at Texas A&M’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the team has developed an mHealth app that pairs with a commercial smartwatch. Drawing data from the smartwatch sensors, the app uses AI technology to identify when the user is exhibiting signs of stress or anxiety.
The pilot program, called Mental Health Evaluation and Lookout (mHELP), targets college students and aims to give them on-demand access to digital health resources, including therapeutic activities. It would also integrate with care providers’ management plans that might include in-person or virtual counseling sessions, enabling those providers to monitor their patients through the app.
