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Parents, rejoice!
The Mayo Clinic has developed a smartwatch system that can alert parents to an incoming temper tantrum so they can stop these screamfests in their tracks.
The implications are endless — calmer kids, stronger parent-child bonds and more pleasant experiences on planes and in restaurants, to name a few.
In a study published Monday in JAMA Network Open, children ages 3 to 7 who received parent-child interaction therapy at the Mayo Clinic wore a smartwatch for 16 weeks.
The watch could detect the child’s physiological stress signals, such as increased heart rate or changes in movement.
These signals were sent to an AI-enabled app on the parents’ phones, alerting them to connect with their child.
Researchers found that the alerts helped parents intervene within four seconds and shortened severe tantrums by an average of 11 minutes — half the time it would take with standard therapy.
More studies in larger populations are needed before the system can come to market.
Still, this research shows how this technology could bridge a gap in pediatric mental healthcare to give parents better support while at home or when professional help isn’t available — an important consideration as nearly 1 in 5 US children has a mental, behavioral or emotional health disorder.
“This study shows that even small, well-timed interventions can change the trajectory of a child’s emotional dysregulation episode,” said study co-lead and Mayo Clinic child psychiatrist Magdalena Romanowicz.
“These moments give parents a chance to step in with supportive actions — moving closer, offering reassurance, labeling emotions and redirecting attention before a tantrum intensifies.”
The same team of researchers led an earlier study that examined smartwatch data on heart rate, sleep and movement in children receiving psychiatric care.
Published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, the study found that the machine learning algorithm could predict a child’s behavior with 81% accuracy. Parents were warned of an outburst up to an hour before it happened.
Anxiety, depression or behavioral disorders in children can cause problems into adulthood, as well as affect the present well-being of children and families.
While psychological therapy is often the first-line treatment, data from everyday smart devices can help improve care, especially beyond the clinic.
“A smartwatch may seem simple,” study co-author and Mayo Clinic child and adolescent psychiatrist Paul Croarkin said. “But when it’s backed by evidence-based treatments and advanced analytics, it becomes a lifeline for families trying to manage severe behavioral symptoms at home.”
And with the number of children diagnosed with mental health disorders steadily increasing since 2016, researchers hope this system and future studies provide more options for families.
“We’re seeing more children in crisis,” study co-author and medical director of Mayo Clinic’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit Julia Shekunov said. “This system gives parents tools they can use immediately, even outside the clinic, to help their child regain control.”
