Wireless, continuous monitoring of daily stress and management practice via soft bioelectronics

Abstract

Stress has become a significant factor, directly affecting human health. Due to the numerous sources of stress that are inevitable in daily life, effective management of stress is essential to maintain a healthy life. Recent advancements in wearable devices allow monitoring stress levels via the detection of galvanic skin response on the skin. Some of these devices show the capability of assessing stress relief methods. However, prior works have been limited in a controlled laboratory setting with a short period assessment (<1 h) of stress intervention. The existing systems' main issues include motion artifacts and discomfort caused by rigid and bulky electronics and mandatory device connection on active fingers. Here, we introduce soft, wireless, skin-like electronics (SKINTRONICS) that offers continuous, portable daily stress and management practice monitoring. The ultrathin, lightweight, all-in-one device captures the change of a subject's stress over six continuous hours during everyday activities, including desk work, cleaning, and resting. At the same time, the SKINTRONICS proves that typical stress alleviation methods (mindfulness and meditation) can reduce stress levels, even in the middle of the day, which is supported by statistical analysis. The low-profile, wireless, gel-free device shows enhanced breathability and minimized motion artifacts compared to a commercial stress monitor. Collectively, this study shows the first demonstration of soft, nanomembrane bioelectronics for long-term, continuous assessment of stress and intervention effectiveness throughout daily life.