Digital Study Using Wearables and Smartphones to Track Mental Health in University Students Aged 18 to 25

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to identify digital behavioral markers associated with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, stress, positive and negative affect, and loneliness in university students. The study uses a multi-modal observation approach integrating data from wearable devices and smartphones to develop predictive algorithms that can detect mental health states and identify students at risk. It focuses on full-time undergraduate students to better understand mental health patterns in this population. Participants will be monitored over six months using a Fitbit Charge 6 wearable device and sensors on their smartphones via the Brightline app. Data such as physical activity, sleep, heart rate, physiological patterns, sociability, finger taps, ambient light, and phone usage will be collected passively. Additionally, participants will complete self-report questionnaires at baseline, month 1, month 3, and month 6 to track changes in mental health symptoms and behaviors. During the study, participants are asked to wear the provided device continuously for six months and complete four assessments measuring depression, anxiety, stress, affect, loneliness, and attitudes toward mental health care. Researchers will analyze these data to explore longitudinal changes in mental health symptoms and evaluate the feasibility of this data collection method. The study will also monitor participants compliance and perceptions at the end of the study period.

Brightline: Advancing Mental Health on Campus