Latest iPhone update includes mental health tracking and a Western researcher shares his feelings

Apple is expanding their footprint in the mobile health and wellness tracking field by adding a mental health feature in its upcoming iOS 17 update for the iPhone.

While many iPhone and Apple Watch users already rely on the devices' Health app to track their fitness, sleep, calories and heart rate, the "State of Mind" tracker is the first to focus on one's mental state. The feature will ask users to log an emotion or mood using a graphics-based prompt with a sliding scale from "unpleasant" to "pleasant," followed by additional prompts for context. 

"Maybe you're feeling sad or hopeless or elated. There's a number of adjectives that you can use," said Owen Chevalier, a PhD student in the philosophy department at Western University. He's been using the new feature since the iOS 17 beta version was released in July.

"What the phone is doing is putting that into a chart and comparing it to the other health data that Apple already has about you," he said. 

That includes data such as exercise, heart rate, and sleep, comparing how your mood has changed over time congruent with those metrics. The results can give users insight into what activities, associations or lifestyle factors are leading to specific mental health outcomes.

"I've been surprised to see that I often rate my day to be happier than I might look back and feel," said Chevalier. "A lot of people might feel that way that you think your week is really busy and you're super stressed — but it turns out that I've actually rated my day a lot better than I thought I did."

LISTEN | Western PhD Student Owen Chevalier previews Apple's new mental health tracking:

Apple says personal data is not shared

This will be the first time users will be asked to share their feelings and experiences that could be deeply personal for many with the tech giant.

"[Apple] is a company that we can generally trust more than, say, companies like Meta or Google. Apple generally does right by privacy," said Carmi Levy, a London-based technology analyst. "Still, it's a question that we want to ask and we want to have answered because this isn't just location information, it's not just what we bought at the grocery store, it's our mental health."

When the new health features were first announced, Apple said privacy remains fundamental in the design and development of their health features.

"Data in the Health app is never shared with any third party without the user's explicit permission," the company said in a media release.

Mental health tracking expected to evolve

Levy noted that while the first edition of the State of Mind feature is relatively simple, it will likely become more complex over time.

"It's pretty clear this is version one," he said. "They start off somewhat simple and then they get more sophisticated with each subsequent update."

In a time where mental health challenges are prevalent and health care systems are under constant stress, Levy said tools like this could provide relief. 

"Certainly, in an era where the healthcare system is under historic pressure to do more with less, technologies like this are game changers in terms of ensuring positive outcomes for us and using the health system far more efficiently than is currently the case."

A mental health questionnaire is also incorporated into the feature to give insight into symptoms of anxiety or depression. Those results are processed using standard diagnostic measurements, such as the PHQ-9 (patient health questionnaire) and GAD-7 (generalized anxiety disorder), which can alert the user to any serious considerations, such as reaching out for help.

As Apple updates and improves its mental health features, researcher Chevalier said he will also be following how having more access to personal mental health data on our phones will impact how people see their own mental health.

"I think it would need to be used right. I think if you take it with a grain of salt and ultimately rely on a psychiatrist or some trained medical practitioner to give you a diagnosis, then it could be fine," he said.

"But I do worry about people becoming over-pathologized or over-concerned about the way that they feel and become becoming kind of obsessed with that and making the graph look better for them."

The State of Mind feature will be available with an update to iOS 17, which is expected to be available some time before the end of September. The feature is not automatically activated but has to be turned on in the Health app. 

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 4 p.m. and midnight ET).

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.