  Interpersonal relationships are necessary for successful daily functioning
and wellbeing. Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of social
connectivity for mental health, both through direct peer-to-peer influence and
by the location of individuals within their social network. Passive monitoring
using smartphones provides an advanced tool to map social networks based on the
proximity between individuals. This study investigates the feasibility of using
a smartphone app to measure and assess the relationship between social network
metrics and mental health. The app collected Bluetooth and mental health data
in 63 participants. Social networks of proximity were estimated from Bluetooth
data and 95% of the edges were scanned at least every 30 minutes. The majority
of participants found this method of data collection acceptable and reported
that they would be likely to participate in future studies using this app.
These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using a smartphone app that
participants can install on their own phone to investigate the relationship
between social connectivity and mental health.
