Mobile Sensing in Substance Use Research: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Substance use disorders and relapse present global health challenges.
• Understanding the pre-relapse phase is difficult due to data collection limitations.
• Mobile sensing offers potential for improved data in mental and physical health, but is underdeveloped for substance use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing research on mobile sensing for substance use and relapse in substance use disorders.
• To identify current applications, methodologies, and limitations of mobile sensing in this field.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed in January 2019 using PubMed and Web of Science.
• Six relevant articles focusing on alcohol use were identified and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Studies utilized various mobile sensors and derived features, primarily for identifying current substance use.
• Only one study successfully predicted future substance use.
• Statistical machine learning techniques were commonly employed.

Conclusions:

• Research on mobile sensing for substance use disorders is scarce.
• Future research should focus on clinical populations in naturalistic settings, predictive modeling, and substances beyond alcohol.