Mental health still doesn’t get the kind of attention that it needs and deserves. And so, we’re conditioned to ignore it. On the other hand, there have been good changes (still small) in recent times that try and make the discussion easier, and treatments more accessible. Recently, Apple announced new health features in iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10 – and these tend to focus on mental health.
Apparently, these features will help users identify depression, and hence make getting help a lot easier. People will be able to log their momentary emotions and daily moods, see valuable insights, and easily access assessments and resources. Other than that, they will also be able to determine the risk level of these illnesses, connect to resources available in their region, and create a PDF to share with their doctor.
These features will be part of the health app, and were introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), 2023. This update is an important addition to the health app – given that mental health is just as important as physical health. However, people are concerned about data collection and its misuse. This in-turn means that users will be targeted with ads and brands, based on the data that they feed in.
Some people also think that it’s hypocritical because phone usage, and isolation is one of the many factors affecting mental health. So, it’s weird that a company that sells such products, is campaigning to “help” with depression and other issues.
Clearly, the internet has a mixed response.
This is quite the moral conundrum.