Emotional well-being encompasses mental, social, and physical domains. Since 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Health-Related Quality of Life Program has led an effort to examine how well-being can be integrated into health promotion and how it can be measured in public health surveillance systems. Data from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that 5.6 percent of US adults (about 12 million) reported that they were dissatisfied/very dissatisfied with their lives.
Sentio Solutions, Inc. introduced Feel, a wristband wearable that detects physiological signs of stress with four bio-sensors. The sensors track heart rate variability, galvanic skin response, movement and activity, and skin temperature. The data transmits to an associated smartphone application via Bluetooth. According to the scientists at Sentio Solutions, the algorithm in the app recognizes and tracks emotions throughout the day by measuring changes with the bio-sensors. The app has a journal and calendar in which users are encouraged to note their activities and subjective assessments of how they felt at the time. Users are encouraged to set emotional well-being goals and to complete activities based on cognitive behavioral therapy. The promise is that journaling and tracking emotions will help people recognize emotional triggers. They will feel better because they have added insight to factors that set them off and those that add to their positive feelings.
The final “works-like/looks-like” Feel prototype version was ready in January. No firm date has been set to start order fulfillment, but preorder reservations at a discount are available on the Feel website. Emotional well-being is a subjective state often controlled by more than knowledge, cognition, or willpower. Providing feedback and support based on physical signs can play a role in giving people a sense of empowerment and control.
