Using Wearables in Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review

Wearable technologies offer promising opportunities for non-invasive, continuous monitoring of physiological processes relevant to paediatric mental health. Although their use in adult psychiatry is growing, little is known about their application in mental health care for youth. This scoping review maps the current state of research on wearable technologies used to assess or support mental health in children and adolescents, with special attention to externalizing behaviours and forensic or residential settings. We systematically searched four databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, Embase) for peer-reviewed English-language studies involving participants aged 0 to 17, using wearable devices to assess physiological markers related to mental health. A total of 85 studies were included. Most studies focused on monitoring sleep (54) using wrist-worn actigraphy, particularly in youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, or internalizing problems. A smaller number examined autonomic nervous system responses (19), motor activity (8), or brain activity and eye gazing (5). Of all 85 studies, 10 focused on externalizing behaviours or youth in forensic or residential care. Although feasibility was generally good, wearables were almost exclusively used for assessment, not intervention. Wearables are increasingly used to assess physiological parameters linked to mental health symptoms in youth. However, there is a lack of clinical implementation studies, particularly in high-risk populations. Future research should move beyond feasibility and direct assessment, and explore wearable-based interventions and just-in-time feedback strategies in clinical and forensic youth care.