title: The application of mHealth to mental health: opportunities and challenges.
abstract: Advances in smartphones and wearable biosensors enable real-time psychological, behavioural, and physiological data to be gathered in increasingly precise and unobtrusive ways. Thus, moment-to-moment information about an individual's moods, cognitions, and activities can be collected, in addition to automated data about their whereabouts, behaviour, and physiological states. In this report, we discuss the potential of these new mobile digital technologies to transform mental health research and clinical practice. By drawing on results from the INSIGHT research project, we show how traditional boundaries between research and clinical practice are becoming increasingly blurred and how, in turn, this is leading to exciting new developments in the assessment and management of common mental disorders. Furthermore, we discuss the potential risks and key challenges associated with applying mobile technology to mental health.
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, UK. Electronic address: l.marzano@mdx.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marzano
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, UK.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bardill
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, UK.
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herd
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Veale
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grey
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moran
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012106:Research; D012306:Risk; D012919:Social Behavior; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods