Purpose The purpose of this study is to review the development and potential clinical application of psychiatric biosensors for monitoring major psychiatric disorders. These conditions contribute substantially to the global disease burden, yet their diagnosis and follow-up largely rely on subjective clinical assessments. This review evaluates how wearable and implantable biosensors detecting physiological and biochemical biomarkers, including cortisol, dopamine and serotonin, may support objective and continuous monitoring in psychiatric care. Design/methodology/approach Relevant literature was collected through database searches and manual screening of peer-reviewed publications on psychiatric biosensors and wearable sensing technologies. The review analyses recent advancements in electrochemical, optical and hybrid biosensor platforms capable of detecting biomarkers from biofluids such as sweat, saliva, blood and urine. It also examines their integration into point-of-care systems and evaluates regulatory approval pathways in the USA and Europe. Findings Psychiatric biosensors show strong potential for real-time, noninvasive monitoring of physiological indicators related to mental health disorders. Advances in wearable integration and multimodal biomarker detection have improved feasibility for continuous monitoring. However, challenges remain in biomarker validation, clinical reliability and regulatory approval under frameworks such as the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) 2017 / 745 and pathways of the US Food and Drug Administration. Originality/value This review highlights emerging psychiatric biosensor technologies, regulatory considerations and future research directions needed to enable their safe integration into mental healthcare.
Karnam et al. (Fri,) studied this question.