Find Your Zen With Tech

A Trend That's Been Gaining Traction Since 2020, The Integration Of Mental Wellness And Technology Is Showing No Sign Of Slowing Down This Year. Here Are Some Ways You Can Tap On Technology To Support Your Mental Well-being.

- Chelsia Tan

You may have been tracking your steps or recording your sleep cycle with your smart watch. Soon, you might even be able to detect symptoms of depression through an iPhone or Apple Watch.

According to The Wall Street Journal, tech giant Apple is said to be working with the University of California, Los Angeles, and pharmaceutical company Biogen to develop iPhone features that could help diagnose mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as signs of cognitive decline. Researchers have also reportedly been conducting studies with data ranging from mobility and sleep patterns to facial expressions and heart rates.

While the focus on one’s headspace is fast moving into the tech-enabled sphere, it’s still prudent to seek the help of mental health professionals.

Says Dr Jimmy Lee, a senior consultant with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH): “These wearables might provide regular self-assessments of mood or stress levels, and provide feedback to the user. They might be useful monitoring tools, but at present, they are not diagnostic instruments. Digital technology does not provide a medical diagnosis. Also, the accuracy of some tools in predicting emotional states are under evaluation.”

Dr Teng Jia Jing, a consultant with the Department of Psychological Medicine at National University Hospital (NUH), shares that while wearable technology can be used to track behaviours like physical exercise and sleep as “these are often difficult to quantify and recall accurately”, a proper evaluation is still required to diagnose mental health symptoms.