Evaluation of changes in depression, anxiety, and social anxiety using smartphone sensor features: Longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Background: The assessment of behaviors related to mental health typically relies on self-report data. Networked sensors embedded in smartphones can measure some behaviors objectively and continuously, with no ongoing effort. Objective: This study aims to evaluate whether changes in phone sensor-derived behavioral features were associated with subsequent changes in mental health symptoms. Methods: This longitudinal cohort study examined continuously collected phone sensor data and symptom severity data, collected every 3 weeks, over 16 weeks. The participants were recruited through national research registries. Primary outcomes included depression (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire), generalized anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale), and social anxiety (Social Phobia Inventory) severity. Participants were adults who owned Android smartphones. Participants clustered into 4 groups: Multiple comorbidities, depression and generalized anxiety, depression and social anxiety, and minimal symptoms. Results: A total of 282 participants were aged 19-69 years (mean 38.9, SD 11.9 years), and the majority were female (223/282, 79.1%) and White participants (226/282, 80.1%). Among the multiple comorbidities group, depression changes were preceded by changes in GPS features (Time: R=-0.23, P=.02; Locations: R=-0.36, P