ABSTRACT:
This study assessed the feasibility of new methods of capturing smartphone based digital phenotyping data in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and employed new methods of digital phenotyping data analysis with the goal of understanding how digital biomarkers of behavior correlate with mental health. Methods: Participants were 100 students enrolled in 4-year universities. Each participant attended a virtual visit to complete a series of gold standard mental health assessments, and then used a mobile app for 28 days to complete daily mood assessments and allow for passive collection of GPS, accelerometer, phone call, and screen time data. Students completed another virtual visit at the end of the study to collect a second round of mental health assessments. Results: In-app daily mood assessments were strongly correlated with International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research For Review Only their corresponding gold standard clinical assessment. Sleep variance among students was correlated to depression scores (r = .28) and stress scores (r = .27). Conclusions: Digital Phenotyping methods among, deployed remotely during a pandemics, to college students is feasible on both an individual and a population level. Studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to understand population trends, but there are practical applications of the data today.
PUBLICATION:
International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research
IJMPR-Dec-2020-0067
LINK TO PUBLICATION:
Digital Phenotyping Methods for Student Mental Health During COVID-19: An Observational Study of 100 College Students