Author: Derek Beres / Source: Big Think
- Kristin Gainey, a psychology professor at the University of Buffalo, says that an individualized approach to treating anxiety and depression is possible.
- 135 volunteers were sent three daily surveys for ten weeks to check for emotional triggers and mindsets.
- Gainey believes that smartphone tracking could provide better avenues of research for treating mental health problems.
Now that Apple is cutting production on iPhones, the company, seeking other revenue streams, recently announced that it will focus on health initiatives, especially through its watch. Interestingly, the move is in part inspired by “Dear Tim” letters that the CEO, Tim Cook, receives from Apple users, many of whom shared anecdotes about how the watch saved their life.
This isn’t the only Apple device being used to track health problems. AirPods track physiological patterns, signaling users to potential problems. Avenues open for exploration include heart monitoring, skin temperature, and sleep patterns.
Apple isn’t the only company expanding into health care. Samsung is adding a “health-focused smartwatch” to its catalog; mental health models for warning about potential suicide risks are in the works.
It’s a fascinating turn of events for an industry that has in large part created many of the health problems we’re experiencing. Increased rates of anxiety and depression can be directly traced to smartphone addiction. Distracted driving is a public health crisis, causing 1.6 million automobile crashes and 390,000 injuries per year. Add to this constant inattention, privacy invasion through data collection, and political problems fostered by social media and it seems like the tracking device in our pockets is of little benefit.
Yet the cure often lies close to the disease, as an old sentiment in mythology goes. It makes sense that the device causing so many problems will play a role in reversing course. That’s exactly what new research from the University of Buffalo claims.
The extraordinary effect of mindfulness on depression and anxiety | Daniel Goleman
Assistant professor of psychology, Kristin Gainey, has focused on mood and anxiety disorders for decades. Current models for detecting mental health problems are not reliable and certainly not specific. The course of treatment, which has predominantly been SSRIs for over thirty years, often causes more problems than it helps. Gainey believes smartphone tracking provides real-time information that proves more valuable for diagnosing…
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