World Mental Health Day: Better Mental Health Starts with Better Understanding

How well do you know your mind? Have you had a moment recently to check in on how you are feeling — both in body and in mind? For many, the answers to these questions may not be positive, which is why World Mental Health Day is an important reminder to look after our mental health the same way we do our physical health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder¹.

Mental health conditions are prevalent around the world, and are oftentimes overlooked and overshadowed by our hectic daily lives. Although an all-too-common occurrence, issues can go unchecked when people aren’t aware of a mental health condition, or even ignored when it becomes apparent, leading to them suffering in silence.

However, as more and more people around the world have begun to realize the importance of mental health awareness, demand for a better understanding of mental well-being and convenient ways to monitor it daily is increasing. This is why, as part of its ongoing work to expand the functionality and benefits of its wearable devices, Samsung is partnering with Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH), an affiliate hospital of Harvard Medical School, to take wearable mental health data capabilities even further.

As a company dedicated to providing users with deeper insights into their holistic wellness, Samsung believes that wearable devices, like the Galaxy Watch, can be useful in increasing awareness around mental health. Wearables accompany us throughout our day and may have the potential to help users better understand their mental health status based on physical measurements.

Samsung and Massachusetts General Hospital psychiatry department experts are collaborating to conduct a study using the Galaxy Watch to understand the relationship between factors such as sleep, physical activity², heart rate, daily routines and a user’s mental health status. In the study, researchers will analyze watch data from the participants to understand how the smartwatches can be used as an efficient and convenient tool to monitor an individual’s mental health.

“This study is an excellent example of Samsung’s commitment to bringing new health monitoring tools to Galaxy wearable users worldwide and providing a comprehensive wellness experience,” said Hon Pak, Vice President and Head of the Digital Health Team, MX Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through our work with Massachusetts General Hospital, we aim to empower users with a better understanding of their mental wellbeing more conveniently, and give them a more complete picture of their holistic health, including mind and body.”

Samsung is one of the leaders in the next era of digital health monitoring with advanced sensors, including the groundbreaking Samsung BioActive Sensor³. With a proven history of working closely with industry leaders, Samsung is collaborating with Massachusetts General Hospital to explore new technologies that deliver expanded mental health insight functions, building on the foundation of Samsung’s health features ecosystem to create new possibilities in wellness monitoring.

“Our project with Samsung holds the potential to give users an improved understanding of their mental health through smartwatch data,” said Amanda Baker, PhD, Director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Living with stress is a daily challenge for so many, so our hope is our collaboration with Samsung will offer people a deeper perspective on their mental well-being on a daily basis.”

¹ World Health Organization, “Mental disorders”, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders

² Requires smartphone with Android 10.0 or later, 2GB or more RAM and Samsung Health app (free) version 6.22 or later. Not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions.

³ Requires Samsung Galaxy Smartphone with Android 9.0 or later, and Samsung Health Monitor app (available only at the Samsung Galaxy app store).