Integrated wearables to help people with skin-picking disorder manage urges
Official title: Developing an Integrated Wearable and Patch System to Address Skin Picking Disorder
Funded at Habitaware, INC. · NIH-11400423 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new wearable system combines a wrist sensor and a patch to help adults notice and interrupt skin-picking in real time so they can use proven strategies like Habit Reversal Training.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Habitaware, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $422,072 |
| NIH project number | 5R43MH142283-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400423 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21 years and older with a diagnosis of skin-picking disorder who are open to using wearable technology.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without SPD or those unwilling to engage with digital device-based monitoring may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project adapts and combines a wrist-worn gesture detector with a proximity-sensing patch to raise awareness of skin-picking urges and provide immediate feedback. By engaging users in real-time, the system aims to support habit-reversal techniques and stimulus control, potentially reducing relapses. The work will gather input from SPD clinicians and adults with SPD to refine the hardware, app interface, and user experience before broader testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the system could make evidence-based therapies more accessible and help reduce skin damage and distress caused by SPD.
How similar studies have gone: A similar system for trichotillomania showed feasibility and preliminary efficacy, suggesting potential for SPD with adaptation.
Where this research is happening
-
Habitaware, INC.
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kumar, Sameer — Habitaware, INC.
- Study coordinator: Kumar, Sameer
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.