A recent study revealed a “stress coach” smart patch could assist individuals recovering from addiction or alcoholism manage stress, cravings, and reduce relapse risk.
The biofeedback patch tracks heart rate, which suddenly increases when cravings hit. Using AI, it alerts wearers to practice breathing exercises for mood and self-control.
In the trial, nearly 115 individuals with severe substance use disorder were studied during their first year of recovery.
Half used the smart patch alongside regular treatment, while the others followed standard care.
For more than eight weeks, participants reported several things, including mood, cravings, and substance use twice daily via any smartphone app.
According to results published in JAMA Psychiatry, patch users had a 64% reduction in drug and alcohol use, with several negative emotions and cravings.
Lead researcher of Massachusetts General Hospital David Eddie stated, “One of the hallmarks of early addiction recovery is poor self-awareness of emotional states,”
“These devices detect stress and cravings and prompt people to act before relapse,” David added.
Researchers stated that relapse usually builds subconsciously until it becomes overwhelming. Dr. Manassa Hany, an addiction psychiatrist at Northwell Health, said that the device is “magnificent,” mentioning that controlling stress responses can break the cycle that ignites relapse.
Furthermore, researchers warned that the study focused only on individuals in their first year of recovery, but believe such tools could offer lifelong benefits.
