Stress Episode Detection: Can Smartwatches Be Used For Predicting Stress?

Abstract. The increasing prevalence of stress-related disorders and the wide-spread adoption of wearable technologies has sparked considerable interest in harnessing smartwatches for continuous, real-time stress monitoring. This paper reviews the literature to assess the capability of wearable sensors, specifically those measuring heart rate variability (HRV), skin temperature, and respiratory rate, for early stress detection. By synthesizing current methodologies, we evalu-ate how these physiological signals are processed to derive key stress indicators. The review compares evaluation metrics such as accuracy, sensitivity, and speci-ficity relative to traditional stress assessment methods. Furthermore, we discuss the practical applicability of smartwatch-based stress monitoring in diverse set-tings, including clinical environments, workplace wellness programs, military op-erations, sports training, and elderly care.