How Google wants to help diagnose depression

It calls the questionnaire a private self assessment and promises not to store any of that data. This depression screening questionnaire comes as the newest from its series of health-related developments.  

Searches have become synonymous to Google to the extent we say 'Google it'. While every query is searched online, Google wants to help when it comes to searches related to depression.

The search giant has decided to throw in a 'Check if you are clinically depressed' and fill out a screening questionnaire. It calls the questionnaire a private self assessment and promises not to store any of that data.

The feature, launched for users in the US, will provide an option to take a clinically validated screening questionnaire called PHQ-9 when a person Googles the word "depression". The new feature "is not meant to subvert a medical evaluation. It is meant to steer you to one if you appear depressed," Google spokesperson Susan Cadrecha told The Verge.

This depression screening questionnaire comes as the newest from its series of health-related developments. “The results of the PHQ-9 can help you have a more informed conversation with your doctor,” according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which partnered with Google on the questionnaire.

Depression is a common illness worldwide that affects more than 300 million people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.

With input from PTI