Apple’s New Mental Wellbeing Feature: A Comprehensive Guide
There’s no shortage of digital mood and mental health trackers. Typically packaged into an app easily accessed on a digital device, these logs or journals are designed to help users identify patterns in their emotional state and well-being. Now the category has a new contender in Apple’s latest software updates, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10.
Where to Find Mental Wellbeing
Mental Wellbeing lives in Apple Health on the iPhone and iPad and via the Mindfulness App in Apple Watch. On an iPhone or iPad, it’s easiest to find by opening Apple Health and clicking browse. You’ll find a list of health categories, including Mental Wellbeing. Tap that option, then select State of Mind.
How to Log a Mood or Emotion
Before you log anything, Apple Health has made an important distinction between an emotion or mood, which may change what you track, and how. In an explanatory article about the difference between emotion and mood within the Mental Wellbeing feature, Apple Health notes that an emotion is a momentary reaction to a specific experience, while a mood lasts longer, can stem from multiple factors, and may have no clear cause.
When you select the “log” button or calendar icon in State of Mind, you’ll be able to start the logging process. When prompted to “log,” select emotion or mood. Choose what makes most sense for you, based on the day’s events, or what you’d most like to analyze for trends. You can also choose to separately log both an emotion and a mood.
How to Get Insights from Your Mood and Emotion Logging
If a clear association emerges from your logging, you may receive a highlight offering additional insights from Apple Health. These are generated by software, so Apple employees are not viewing and analyzing your data. However, without enough data to analyze, it’s unlikely Apple Health will spot patterns.
That’s one reason to consider using the feature regularly. The other benefit is that more data means you can personally evaluate the logged emotions and moods for connections to lifestyle factors, for example.
How to Take a Depression or Anxiety Assessment
Apple Health is programmed to send users a biannual reminder to consider taking a depression or anxiety self-assessment. These assessments, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), are short questionnaires widely used in healthcare settings to determine someone’s risk for depression and anxiety, respectively. If you feel like taking one or both assessments, they are available in State of Mind by selecting either “anxiety risk” or “depression risk.”
How to Keep Your Logged Emotions and Assessment Results Secure
All data logged in Apple Health is encrypted on your device and when it’s synced to other devices. Your logs and assessment results will never be shared with a third party, unless you specifically choose to do so via screenshot, PDF, or other means, like the Health Sharing feature, according to Apple.
Conclusion
Apple’s new Mental Wellbeing feature offers a comprehensive tool for tracking and analyzing your emotional state and well-being. With its easy-to-use interface and clinically-validated self-assessments, it’s a valuable resource for anyone seeking to better understand and manage their mental health. By using the feature regularly and keeping your data secure, you can gain valuable insights into your mental wellbeing and take steps to improve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I find the Mental Wellbeing feature on my Apple device?
A: You can find the Mental Wellbeing feature in Apple Health on your iPhone or iPad, or via the Mindfulness App in Apple Watch.
Q: How do I log a mood or emotion in the Mental Wellbeing feature?
A: Select the “log” button or calendar icon in State of Mind, then choose emotion or mood based on the day’s events or what you’d most like to analyze for trends. You can also choose to separately log both an emotion and a mood.
Q: Can I share my logged emotions and assessment results with a healthcare professional?
A: Yes, you can save your assessment results as a PDF and share it with a trusted medical or mental health professional.
Q: Is my data secure in the Mental Wellbeing feature?
A: Yes, all data logged in Apple Health is encrypted on your device and when it’s synced to other devices. Your logs and assessment results will never be shared with a third party, unless you specifically choose to do so.
