Wearables for Stress Management: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Wearable devices are increasingly used for health monitoring, enabling timely healthcare interventions.
• The role of wearables in stress management requires comprehensive investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how wearable devices assist individuals in managing stress.
• To synthesize evidence on wearable-based stress management strategies and their effectiveness.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.
• Searches were performed in Scopus, IEEE Explore, and PubMed, including studies with user evaluations of wearable-based strategies impacting health or usability.
• Forty studies were included from an initial pool of 6259 identified records.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one studies utilized commercial wearables, predominantly smartwatches and smart bands.
• Thirty-one studies reported significant stress reduction through diverse interventions and interaction modalities.
• Interventions were categorized by aims: immediate self-regulation, long-term therapy support, and stress awareness for prevention.

Conclusions:

• Wearable devices are effective tools for stress management, offering significant reduction and supporting self-regulation.
• Interventions leveraging wearables can be tailored for acute stress episodes, chronic therapy, and preventative stress awareness.
• Future research should explore diverse interaction modalities and long-term impacts of wearable-based stress management.