Smartwatch System Alerts Help Parents Shorten, Defuse Children’s Severe Tantrums Early

A smartwatch system used to provide real-time digital therapeutic augmentation of behavior therapy gave parents timely behavior prompts for proactive parenting skills to defuse their child’s temper tantrums. The children's tantrums had a shorter duration than those of children who were receiving usual care. Both groups were enrolled in parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT).

The system, in development within the Mayo Clinic, involves a smartwatch for the child to collect heart rate data. The system analyzes the child’s data and alerts the parents if the data indicate rising frustration.

The system was tested in a clinical . . .