Wearable Technologies and Psychiatry: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis

English (OpenAlex)

The World Health Organization has encouraged the integration of assistive technology into health reform initiatives.1 Today, digital health tools and technology have emerged as promising advancements that substantially assist in identifying disorders and clarifying diagnoses.2 Technology has played a key role in providing health services, particularly in domains such as mobile health, monitoring, data collection, warning systems, and record-keeping.Mobile health, previously referred to as wireless e-medicine, now encompasses the utilization of mobile or wireless communication devices in the context of health and healthcare services.[3][4][5][6] The wearable devices were first designed by Thorp Edward 7 and implemented with contributions from Claude Shannon.In recent times, the utilization of wearable technology in mobile health services has enabled the monitoring of various health issues and has presented novel solutions in both the scientific and industrial fields.[8][9][10] Wearable devices enable monitoring, recording, and transmitting physiological signals in non-hospital settings.11 This review comprehensively examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with wearable technology, a rapidly emerging phenomenon in the healthcare domain.Furthermore, it investigates specific instances of wearable technologies within the field of psychiatry.The aim of this review is not to emphasize statistical results but to focus on the advantages and the disadvantages. Wearable TechnologyWearable technologies encompass electronic devices that are designed to be conveniently worn on the human body or effortlessly integrated into clothing.12,13 Wearable technologies that can be attached to or As in every other field, technology has an impact on healthcare.As part of technological advancements, wearable technology can guide in identifying illnesses, clarifying diagnoses, and recognizing disease-related hazards early.Considering the advances in wearable technologies impact the mental health field, as they do in all other fields, it is important to assess their implications.Studies in this field and their results will be discussed, and current shortcomings and developments will be revealed.Considering disability, economic burden, and care burden, wearable technology for mental illness is also promising.Although it is generally in the pilot study phase, wearable technology will likely be encountered more frequently in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of mental illnesses with the increase of prospective randomized controlled studies in the near future.The collection of simultaneous and objective data in patients will also benefit evidence-based mental care.Nevertheless, it is imperative to address the matter of patients' privacy and ethical concerns associated with the utilization of wearable technology, given its potential to gather extensive and prolonged data without being driven by specific hypotheses.