Suicide sleep monitoring (SSleeM): A feasibility and acceptability study of a wearable sleep tracking monitoring device in suicide attempters

Abstract

Introduction

Sleep disturbances are associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior. The evidence primarily stems from studies based on questionnaires about sleep quality. In recent years, the availability of wearable health technology has increased and offers an inexpensive, appealing, and accessible way to measure sleep.

Our aim is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of wearable sleep tracking monitoring devices in a sample of suicide attempters.

Methods

A prospective, open-label, 12-months study will be conducted in the emergency department (ED) and psychiatric unit (PU) of the university hospital of Brest, France. Inclusion criteria are male or female aged 18 or over, surviving a suicide attempt, discharged from ED or PU, and giving consent. The sleep tracker and a smartphone will be given to the patient after discharge. He or she will receive brief training on how to use the sleep tracker. Patient will be asked to monitor their sleep during the five days following the discharge. The feasibility will be explored by analyzing the data proceeding from the sleep tracker. The acceptability will be assessed during the five-days follow up visit, using a standardized questionnaire.

Results

Preliminary results of this ongoing study show that feasibility and acceptance may be related to technical features of wearable devices.

Discussion

A better understanding of the bidirectional mechanism between sleep disturbances and suicide behavior will allow the design of tailored interventions to prevent suicide attempts.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.