For many men, talking about mental health is incredibly difficult but new technologies like smartwatches offer a new window of opportunity, writes Dr Michael Kyron, Interim Director, Suicide Prevention and Resilience Research Centre.
Stigma, social expectations, and a reluctance to appear vulnerable often mean that men’s emotional struggles go unspoken.
As a result, symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress can go unnoticed until they become much more serious. But what if there was a way to spot signs of mental strain early, without requiring someone to speak up first?
When it comes to physical health, we tend to be much more responsive. Think about chest pain or shortness of breath, most people know these are warning signs of a heart problem and would encourage someone to seek medical help straight away.
Doctors have clear tests they can run, like ECGs or blood work, to confirm whether something is wrong. The symptoms are visible, measurable, and familiar.
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Mental health is not so clear-cut. The warning signs can be subtle or mistaken for something else. A man who becomes withdrawn or irritable might be seen as just having a bad day, when in fact he’s experiencing the early stages of a mental health decline.
Without clear markers, and without someone saying they need help, it can be difficult to know when to step in.
That’s why finding practical, consistent markers of mental health is so important. Checking in with someone directly can be meaningful, but doing so every day over long periods isn’t always realistic. We need other ways to keep an eye on wellbeing, methods that don’t rely entirely on self-reporting but still give valuable insight.
Spotting mental health through physical health
Physical and mental health are closely linked, often affecting each other in subtle but significant ways.
When someone is experiencing emotional distress, it often shows up physically. Disrupted sleep, reduced physical activity, or even changes in heart rate or breathing can all be signs that something deeper is going on. These are not just side effects of poor mental health, they can be early indicators that something is beginning to shift.
Today, we’re better equipped than ever to notice these changes – smartwatches and fitness trackers mean many people are already collecting data about their sleep and movement. This opens the door to a powerful opportunity: using everyday physical health data to spot early signs of mental strain, especially for those who may not be ready to talk.
But to turn this potential into reliable support, we need to explore how these physical indicators map onto mental health with enough accuracy and consistency to be clinically meaningful.
Real-world research with young men
New WA research is focused on young men currently receiving psychiatric care, and is exploring how physiological data can be used to detect early signs of mental health deterioration, thereby facilitating timely and targeted interventions.
So far, the study has found that poor sleep quality and increases in resting heart rate often show up before other symptoms become noticeable. This makes it a valuable signal for early intervention.
By combining objective physiological data, with personal insights such as mood tracking or life events, the research team is building a smarter and more responsive way to support mental health.
The use of AI
The next step is turning these insights into practical support, both for individuals managing their own wellbeing and for professionals delivering timely care.
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) can help detect subtle patterns across sleep, activity, and physiological data that may signal early signs of mental strain.
When these changes are flagged, care providers can choose to check in or adjust support before things escalate. This early detection opens the door for more targeted, preventative interventions rather than waiting for a crisis.
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At the same time, AI can empower individuals with tailored insights about their own health. Simple prompts or personalised strategies can help people make small adjustments to their sleep, movement, or routines – changes that can have real benefits for mental wellbeing.
This approach respects privacy while still enabling meaningful support. This balance between space and connection can make care feel safer and more accessible.
AI is not a replacement for human connection, it’s a tool that can enhance clinical care by providing earlier, more targeted insight.
Meeting men where they are
Not every man is ready to talk about how he’s feeling, so it’s essential to bring mental health support into daily life in subtle but powerful ways.
Just as we treat early signs of physical illness, we can use real-world data and AI to support mental wellbeing proactively. Through this we can help men before they reach a breaking point, and offering tools that genuinely fit into how they live.
ED: The research is funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group and led by the Suicide Prevention and Resilience Research Centre at UWA.
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