Passive Sensing

The collection of behavioral and physiological data through sensors without requiring active user input. In mental health contexts, passive sensing uses smartphone sensors (GPS, accelerometer, microphone), wearable devices (heart rate monitors, electrodermal activity sensors), and environmental sensors to infer mental states, detect behavioral patterns, and identify triggers or symptom episodes. For OCD, passive sensing can potentially detect compulsive behaviors (like excessive hand washing via motion sensors) and triggering contexts without the burden of manual logging, though accuracy, privacy, and the risk of false positives remain significant challenges.