Lockdowns and community quarantines may cause stress and anxiety that may lead to developed depression to some people. With that, Google launched a new tool that could help people take care of their mental health amid the COVID-19, just recently.
Google Partners with NAMI
In a report by Forbes, the internet giant has provided more resources for people who want to learn more about anxiety.
US users should be able to access a clinically certified self-assessment for anxiety and clinically approved information about anxiety and its symptoms as well as treatments that people can get if possible.
Google has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to provide these resources.
"As a trained psychiatrist, I know firsthand the importance of bringing out into the open the issue of mental health," wrote Dr. David Feinberg, the vice president of Google Health, in a blog post earlier last month.
"While it might be years between the first onset of symptoms and someone seeking help, the internet is often the first place people turn to find out more about mental disorders."
Accessing GAD-7 for Self Assessment
According to News18, people who search about anxiety will find a clinically validated questionnaire known as the GAD-7, short for Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, on the knowledge panel or the box wherein the search engine provides all of the critical facts about the term you are searching about.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders and can be displayed via a wide range of symptoms.
It can be caused by biological factors or changes in the environment or when a person is exposed to a stressful event--in this case, the drastic and sudden changes that the novel coronavirus pandemic has caused.
The survey will ask you seven questions, all of which are real questions a certified therapist or health expert will ask, and you must answer each one truthfully.
Google Assures Security and Privacy
For those who are unsure about the survey and their privacy, Google assures everyone that the questionnaire is private and secure, and the company will not be storing any data, nor will they be asking for information from you.
In addition, they will not connect nor share the results of your questionnaire.
After a person answers all seven questions provided in the survey, they can map their anxiety symptoms to the anxiety levels of other people who have responded to the same questionnaire.
Furthermore, they should be able to access resources provided by NAMI that will help people know how they can get help and the possible treatments they can get depending on their level of anxiety.
CEO of NAMI, Daniel Gillison, Jr., said that communities have been seeing a rise in mental health issues and needs and that a new data from the New Census Bureau shows that a third of Americans are now showing signs of clinical anxiety and depression.
With the help of Google and NAMI, people can safely assess themselves at home and get professional help.
