Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Google Offers Anxiety Assessment

As the COVID-19 pandemic takes an increasing toll on mental health, Google on Thursday  launched a new tool to help users who search for information on anxiety.

A clinically certified self assessment is now available to U.S. users, Becker’s Hospital Review reported. Clinically approved information about anxiety symptoms and treatments is provided along with the survey, the story said.

“As a trained psychiatrist, I know firsthand the importance of bringing out into the open the issue of mental health,” Dr. David Feinberg, vice president of Google Health, wrote in a blog post earlier this 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.”

He cited a national survey released by the American Psychiatric Association in March which found that 36 percent of respondents felt COVID-19 was seriously impacting their mental health.

“The coronavirus isn’t just ravaging bodies, it’s creating a mental health crisis,” Feinberg wrote in a Fortune piece this month.

Google’s anxiety self assessment tool warns “For informational purposes only. Not a medical diagnosis.” It also assures users that answers will be kept confidential.

At the end of the survey, the tool provides an assessment of the user’s anxiety level, ranging from minimal to severe, based on their answers. It provides resources for more information and help, including a link to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

“Anxiety is common and treatable,” it concludes.

Google partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to develop the questionnaire, Becker’s reported. This is the third mental-health self assessment offered by Google through its search function, Becker’s said, with previous questionnaires for PTSD and depression.