Real-time stress detection devices could help fight alcohol relapses | WSU Insider | Washington State University - WSU News

Wearable devices can detect people’s stress, according to new Washington State University research, opening potential new interventions for people with addictions.

In a paper published today, July 21, in the JMIR Formative Research, a WSU research team found that wearable wristbands measure physiological responses to stress in real-time and real-world situations, providing a potential method to help people avoid slipping back into old behaviors.

Stress is one of the most common reasons for people with Alcohol Use Disorder, more commonly known as alcoholism, to relapse and start drinking again, said Michael Cleveland, an associate professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development and corresponding author on the study.

“The survey results matched up very well with the physiological data we got from the wristbands — enough to give us confidence that the devices are effective in measuring stress in real-time,” Cleveland said.

“Nobody could do this alone; it takes computer scientists, stress experts and people who know about alcohol and substance abuse treatment.”