Your smartphone knows a lot about you, but what about your mental health?

The habitual nature of people means this data could be used to give insight into our mental wellbeing

Smartphones come with an assortment of sensors that can track behaviours such as our internet search and browse history, where we go, what music we listen to, who we speak to, just to name a few.

The habitual nature of people means this data could be used to give insight into our mental wellbeing. Acute changes in behavioural patterns may indicate a need for support, and the use of any health diaries on a smartphone may enable us to monitor chronic conditions more effectively.

Sleep, relax, track, anxiety, stress and depression: the most common keywords in mental health apps as found in the review comments. Only apps that advertised depression and mental health were considered. Author provided

Our smartphones have become access points for mental health support and therapy aids. It is not unrealistic that they could aim to take on a therapist role.

But are people really ready for this? Do consumers and end users actually want this development? Would it meet needs without causing harm?

None of this is easily answered. History has shown any tool being developed must integrate consumers, health professionals and technology experts, along with rigorous testing, to provide an ethically sound and evidence based approach, and this is no less true for smartphone technologies.

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