TO TRACK, OR NOT TO TRACK?

DR VICTOR KWOK, PSYCHIATRIST AT PRIVATE SPACE MEDICAL, WEIGHS IN ON THE LIMITATIONS OF USING TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS. “It is difficult for tech devices to detect suicidal thoughts. This is a critical red flag that requires urgent and more intensive treatment. It is also difficult to pick up changes in appetite as a depressed person may not be motivated to log into a food diary. Other symptoms of poor mental health, such as irritability, personality changes, or a decline in school or work performance are also difficult to capture. However, these devices may be helpful for people who are alexithymic (a psychological term used to describe people who are not attuned to their emotions). The data generated may help them to better connect with their emotional and physical states.”