Apple devices will be used to investigate how daily routines impact depression

iPhones, Apple Watches and Beddit sleep monitors will be used to investigate how sleep, physical activity, heart rate and daily routines impact depression

  • The Apple-sponsored study is part of UCLA’s ‘Depression Grand Challenge’
  • This aims to identify the effects of depression and the factors that cause it
  • It is hoped the findings will improve detection and treatment of the condition
  • Depression is thought to affect some 300 million people across the entire globe

iPhones, Apple Watches and Beddit sleep monitors will be used to investigate how sleep, physical activity, heart rate and daily routines impact depression. 

The three-year study is part of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) ‘Depression Grand Challenge’ in collaboration and with support from Apple.

Apple purchased Beddit — a firm that produces automatic sleep trackers with iPhone app support that work by being attached to a mattress — in 2017.

The challenge aims to identify the factors which predispose people to depression — and to understand the changes the condition causes in the body.  

It is hoped the effort may help improve the way that we detect and treat depression, while also working to reduce the stigma associated with the condition.

Depression affects around one-in-five people in the UK — and some 300 million people across the globe, leading to almost one million suicides every year. 

iPhones, Apple Watches (pictured) and Beddit sleep monitors will be used to investigate how sleep, physical activity, heart rate and daily routines impact depression

‘This collaboration, which harnesses UCLA’s deep research expertise and Apple’s innovative technology, has the potential to transform behavioural health research and clinical care,’ said lead investigator and psychiatrist Nelson Freimer.

‘Current approaches to treating depression rely almost entirely on the subjective recollections of depression sufferers

‘This is an important step for obtaining objective and precise measurements that guide both diagnosis and treatment.’

The pilot phase of the study — which will involve 150 patients — is to begin this week, whereas the main phase with some 3,000 volunteers will be conducted from 2021–2023. Participants will be drawn from UCLA Health and the student body.

Each subject will be asked to download a research app to their personal iPhones — and will be given an Apple Watch and Beddit sleep monitor for use during the experiment.

The team will analyse the personal data collected by the three devices, alongside information gathered through regular clinical interviews and questionnaires.

‘UCLA and Apple have designed this study so that all aspects of participation can be accomplished remotely,’ Dr Freimer said.

‘The pandemic has heightened anxiety and depression globally — and has increased awareness of the importance of behavioural health to overall wellbeing.

‘Physical distancing requirements have limited in-person mental health assessment and treatment, leading to expanded use and acceptance of telehealth.

‘These changes highlight the importance of incorporating technologies like those to be tested in this study into clinical research and eventually into practice.’

It is hoped the study might help improve the way that we detect and treat depression, while also working to reduce the stigma associated with the condition. Depression affects around one-in-five people in the UK — and some 300 million people across the globe, leading to almost one million suicides every year (stock image)

It is hoped the study might help improve the way that we detect and treat depression, while also working to reduce the stigma associated with the condition. Depression affects around one-in-five people in the UK — and some 300 million people across the globe, leading to almost one million suicides every year (stock image)

‘The analyses made possible by the scale, length and design of this [latest] study will provide the most extensive evidence available to date regarding the possible uses of digital tools for assessing and tracking behavioural health,’ Dr Freimer added.

‘We envision a future in which these tools will become indispensable for depression sufferers and those providing them care,’ he concluded.

The Depression Grand Challenge has already made advances in the study and treatment of the condition — with a previous study having revealed a link between specific genetic factors and a tendency towards depression.

In 2017, UCLA became the first university to offer optional depression and anxiety screening — and this year offered members of the public a free COVID-19 ‘care package’ to ease the stress and anxiety associated with the pandemic.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said: ‘As a neuroscientist by training with expertise in sleep, I am incredibly excited about this collaboration and am hopeful that it will lead to significant strides in mental health research.’ 

More information on the Depression Grand Challenge can be found on the UCLA website. 

DEPRESSION AFFECTS ONE-IN-TEN PEOPLE AT SOME POINT

While it is normal to feel down from time to time, people with depression may feel persistently unhappy for weeks or months on end.

Depression can affect anyone at any age and is fairly common – approximately one in ten people are likely to experience it at some point in their life. 

Depression is a genuine health condition which people cannot just ignore or ‘snap out of it’.

Symptoms and effects vary, but can include constantly feeling upset or hopeless, or losing interest in things you used to enjoy.

It can also cause physical symptoms such as problems sleeping, tiredness, having a low appetite or sex drive, and even feeling physical pain.

In extreme cases it can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Traumatic events can trigger it, and people with a family history may be more at risk.

It is important to see a doctor if you think you or someone you know has depression, as it can be managed with lifestyle changes, therapy or medication. 

Source: NHS Choices 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk