How can technology play a part in mental health diagnostics? According to the mental health charity MIND, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England, and 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (like anxiety and depression) in any given week in England.
However, approximately only 1 in 8 adults with a mental health problem are currently getting any kind of treatment, and the most common treatment offered is psychiatric medication, so demand for services vastly outstrips supply.
Experts believe digitalised mental healthcare could bring lasting benefits to many people who might otherwise go untreated. Whereas enormous strides have been taken in technological solutions for physical health over the last 50 years, the same cannot be said of mental health where standardised analysis techniques are nowhere near as developed as they might be in an area such as blood chemistry.