A System for Regulation of Anxiety-based Symptoms

Mental health and anxiety remains a prevalent social issue and continues to affect millions of individuals globally. Despite this, there is a social stigma that revolves around seeking professional help for the regulation of mental health-related symptoms. Due to this, individuals opt for self-help techniques even though they do not serve as a long-term solution for this issue. A new approach to regulating mental health and anxiety-related symptoms is adopted. A wearable device equipped with bio-tracking sensors namely Heart Rate or Photoplethysmography (PPG) and Skin Conductance or Electrodermal Activity (EDA) accompanied by a smartphone application is developed in this study. The application provides the user with real-time feedback and analysis based on the bio-monitoring data collected by the wearable device and personalised guidance for anxiety regulation based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The device also consists of tactile feedback to gamify and reduce the effects of the anxiety symptoms. This systemic solution has the potential to mitigate the impacts of anxiety and its primary symptoms in the lives of millions of people worldwide, potentially improving their mental well-being. Future applications of Virtual Reality (VR) in anxiety regulation are also discussed in this study.