As Part of Google and health practitioners’ efforts to help with depression, especially by way of improving the knowlege base of the world, National Alliance on Mental IllnessĀ has on Wednesday, 30th of August, announced that Google can now serve as a first hand diagnosis stop point with health crises relating to depression.
According to the report, Google on mobile now provides people who search for the term “clinical depression” with a direct link to theĀ PHQ-9Ā questionnaire used by medical professionals in the United States to evaluate patients for the disorder.
It has been stated therefore that People can conduct a self-assessment by filling the questionnaire made available online. Against this background, whenever someone conducts a Google search on mobile for information on “clinical depression,” a link to “check if they are clinically depressed” will appear in the depression knowledge panel.
According to NAMI, as reported by Tech News, clicking on the link will take users to the PHQ-9 questionnaire. With this, NAMI hopes teaming up with Google will help raise awareness of clinical depression.
According to Mary Giliberti, the organisation’s CEO, it is therefore hoped that the initiative will lead sufferers to determine their level of depression and the need to seek help. Mary Giliberti revealed that Clinical depression is a treatable condition, assuring that ‘the PHQ-9 can be the first step to getting a proper diagnosis’ for anyone.
With this development, NAMI believes that this marriage between the organisation and google is another armour built to wage war against depression.
