Smartwatches May Help Detect Ptsd Linked To Media Exposure

In a three-year study involving much than 5,000 residents of Israel earlier and aft nan wide traumatic events of October 7, 2023, those who watched extensive media coverage of nan attacks were recovered to beryllium much apt to create post-traumatic accent upset (PTSD). Prof. Erez Shmueli and Prof. Dan Yamin of Tel Aviv University and Wizermed LTD, in collaboration pinch colleagues from Tel Aviv University and Stanford University coming these findings successful nan open-access journal PLOS Mental Health. 

People who are straight exposed to traumatic events tin create acute accent disorder, which whitethorn advancement to PTSD. Early discovery and curen tin forestall nan progression of PTSD.

 However, little is known astir PTSD among group who are indirectly exposed to traumatic events through media consumption. To reside that gap, Yamin and colleagues studied nan aftermath of nan October 7 attacks.

 They analyzed information from 2 groups of Israeli residents who were not attacked, nor were their contiguous family members. The first included 4,806 participants successful a study that was ongoing astatine nan time, enabling a before-after comparison. These participants completed a regular questionnaire assessing their accent levels, and they wore a smartwatch to way various measures of well-being, specified arsenic regular bosom complaint and slumber quality. The 2nd group included 2,536 group who completed clinically validated questionnaires assessing PTSD symptoms and worry astir 2 months aft October 7 and again 5 months later. 

The study showed that, astir 2 months aft October 7, PTSD rates reached 22.9 to 36.0 percent among participants, remaining astatine 15.9 to 24.7 percent aft 7 months. Participants who watched extended amounts of news coverage aliases schematic videos of nan attacks connected specified platforms arsenic Telegram and TikTok had a higher consequence of processing PTSD. 

The smartwatch information besides revealed that participants who developed PTSD had sharper increases successful accent levels and sharper declines successful mood, beingness activity, and slumber value during nan first week aft October 7. 

These findings item nan effect of media exposure connected PTSD and propose that smartwatches could assistance early detection. Future investigation could reside immoderate of this study's limitations, specified arsenic by including longer follow-up periods and general PTSD screening by healthcare professionals.