# Exploring new scientific innovations in combating suicide: a stress detection wristband

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a stress-detecting wristband to help combat the rising global suicide rates by identifying and monitoring stress levels.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is a feasible stress-detecting wristband designed to prevent suicide by monitoring stress levels in real-time.

## Key findings

- Suicide rates are increasing globally, with Nigeria having a higher rate than the global and African averages.
- The proposed wristband uses available technology and can be enhanced with AI for broader health monitoring.
- The innovation was recognized by winning the 2021 Innovation for Action Global Health Challenge.

## Abstract

There is a silent pandemic of suicides around the world, with an exponential increase in suicidality and chronic suicidal ideations. The exact global estimates cannot be accurately ascertained, but analysis will put it at more than a million annually. With countries like America having almost 50,000 and India alone reaching 200,000, annually. Countries like Bangladesh are nearly chronically suicidal. However, in Africa, Nigeria has a suicide rate of 17.3 per 100,000, which stands above the global 10.5 and Africa’s 12.0. The rate of suicide is experiencing an exponential increase. As the world, regions, and countries work towards ways to combat the pandemic, scientists brainstorm on preventive modalities. Our team, “The Mending Mind” (Winners of the 2021 Innovation for Action Global Health Challenge) proposed a suicide-preventing innovation that actively works by pathologic stress level detection. The stress-detecting wristband. This innovation is feasible and the technology needed to invent it is available. Moreso, with the rise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) augmented devices, it can be modified over time to include other healthcare monitoring sequences.