Digital phenotyping in psychiatry: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Digital phenotyping in psychiatric research.
• Advancements in mental healthcare technology.

Background:

• Digital phenotyping uses digital means for moment-to-moment illness assessment.
• It promises objective, quantifiable data for psychiatric patients.
• This field has the potential to improve mental illness diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of digital phenotyping literature.
• To assess the current state of research in this rapidly growing field.
• To discuss current trends and future directions.

Main Methods:

• Searched four databases (PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science) until August 2021.
• Included English-language studies on diagnosing psychiatric disorders using passive sensing for management or diagnosis.
• Excluded protocols; used narrative synthesis due to data heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• 107 articles were included from 10,506 unique records.
• Study publication increased tenfold from 2014 to 2020.
• 49% of studies were proof of concept/pilot; 62% focused on depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Conclusions:

• Digital phenotyping shows promise, but clinical relevance needs further elucidation.
• Consensus on data collection and processing methods is lacking.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to unlock its full potential and enable robust clinical trials.