Medibio Uses Garmin Wearables Data to Help Identify and Potentially Mitigate Increasing Stress Levels

Through a collaboration with mental health technology company Medibio, Garmin® wearable devices are providing biometric data that researchers will use to support potential early detection and screening of mental unwellness. The hope is that identifying the body’s physiological response to stress early may help individuals avoid more serious conditions in the future.

To do this, Medibio uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning techniques, to identify biological markers and patterns to aid in the early detection and screening of stress-related behavioural changes. To gather the objective, quantitative data required for its stress tracking applications, Medibio chose Garmin devices — rather than the qualitative feedback currently used as a method of assessing mental health. Health metrics recorded on Garmin wearables, including sleep, activity, heart rate and physical activity, are analysed and then presented to users through the Medibio LUCA app as an overall stress score plus a navigable timeline of three stress variables (sleep, activity and cardiac).

The idea behind this technology is that in order to achieve sustained mental wellness, individuals should understand how stress manifests physically, how stimuli can lead to increased stress, and how choices and behaviour might work to mitigate or avoid severe levels of stress and other issues. Linking the objective data from Garmin wearables with the subjective data from questionnaires may help give individuals a more holistic perspective of their mental well-being.

Medibio Co-Founder and Managing Director said, “We are proud of our long-standing relationship, and we respect Garmin’s data integrity and commitment to collaborating with organizations in the health and well-being technology sector to improve the health outcomes of the population.”

Garmin smartwatches are not designed or intended to monitor or diagnose diseases or any medical conditions. Find information on metric accuracy here.