Researchers at Mayo Clinic have created a smartwatch-based alert system designed to help parents manage tantrums in children with emotional and behavioral disorders. The system detects early signs of stress through physiological signals such as increased heart rate or changes in movement and sleep patterns. This information is transmitted from the child's smartwatch to an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled app on the parent's smartphone, which analyzes the data and sends alerts to prompt timely parental intervention.
A study published in JAMA Network Open evaluated this technology with 50 children aged 3 to 7 who were receiving Parent-Child Interaction Therapy at Mayo Clinic over a 16-week period. Half of the participants used the smartwatch system while the other half continued standard therapy. Results showed that parents using the alert system intervened within four seconds, and severe tantrums lasted on average 11 minutes less than those managed with standard therapy—approximately half the usual duration.
Children wore the smartwatch for about three-quarters of the study period, indicating strong feasibility and engagement among families. Magdalena Romanowicz, M.D., a child psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic and co-leader of the study, said, "This study shows that even small, well-timed interventions can change the trajectory of a child's emotional dysregulation episode. 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 research builds upon previous work by the same team that used machine learning algorithms to analyze similar smartwatch data in hospitalized children receiving psychiatric care. That earlier study demonstrated an ability to predict disruptive behaviors with 81% accuracy and provided warnings between 30 and 60 minutes before an outburst.
Arjun Athreya, Ph.D., co-leader of the current study and faculty member in Mayo Clinic's Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, commented: "This work shows how basic science and clinical research can come together to transform patient care. We've translated inpatient findings to outpatient care, and the results show how data from everyday smart devices can help families in real time."
Paul Croarkin, D.O., another co-author and child/adolescent psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic, highlighted: "A smartwatch may seem simple, 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."
Julia Shekunov, M.D., medical director of Mayo Clinic's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Inpatient Unit and also a co-author on the study, added: "We're seeing more children in crisis, and the severity is increasing. This system gives parents tools they can use immediately, even outside the clinic, to help their child regain control."
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates cited by researchers, nearly one in five U.S. children has a mental, behavioral or emotional health disorder.
Future research will focus on improving predictive accuracy for these alerts as well as testing their effectiveness among larger groups over longer periods.
The project received funding from both a Mayo Clinic Clinical Trial Stimulus Fund and Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine.
