In their latest event, Apple rolled out new ways to track mental health that are going to be added with IOS 17, iPadOS17 and watchOS 10.
New mental health features will allow users to log emotions and overall mood throughout the day, provide insights, and provide access to assessments and resources.
In the Health app in iPads or iPhones or the Mindfulness app in watchOS 10, users will be able to choose how they are feeling, select associations and, over time, be able to see insights on what could be contributing to their state of mind. These highlights can be used to better manage overall health. Also, depression and anxiety assessments often used in clinics will now be easily accessible in the Health app. Apple says that by being able to track metrics like exercise and sleep alongside emotions, users will be able to gain better insights into their emotional patterns.
Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s Vice President of Health, said in a press release, “Our goal is to empower people to take charge of their own health journey. With these innovative new features, we’re expanding the comprehensive range of health and wellness tools that we offer our users across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.”
A new Journal app was also announced. This will give Apple users a new way to reflect on their day and practice gratitude from their phone. It facilitates a Journaling Suggestions API to suggest personalized moments to journal about, taken from a user’s recent activity, like photos, places, people, workouts and more.
While features like these have been available on Apple devices for a while through external or third-party apps, those are often paid and are not completely integrated into the device. Apple integrating these new mental health features into devices is a step in the right direction towards combating the increasing rates of anxiety and depression worldwide.
