In the U.S., nearly 1 in 5 adults are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and 8% experience major depression annually. While mental health is a critical component of overall well-being, it is not always prioritized and can be difficult to quantify. We’re launching a new feature in the Empirical Health app that lets you track your mental health, specifically for anxiety and depression, using two standard assessments (PHQ-9 and GAD-7). These are short questionnaires that help you see how you’re feeling over time. By integrating PHQ-9 and GAD-7 into Empirical Health, we empower users to track their mental wellness and spot trends early.

We hope that this feature is able to help all of our users with early detection of mental health issues, timely interventions, and improved communications with their medical team.

What are PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) are two widely accepted screening and diagnostic tools for depression and anxiety. These questionnaires help doctors and their patients assess symptom severity and track changes over time. The US Preventive Services Task force recommends everybody be screened for anxiety and depression, including during and after pregnancy.

How it works

Starting with iOS 17, iPhones introduced the ability to track mental health using PHQ-9 and GAD-7. With iOS 18, Empirical Health can now request permissions to securely read and write this data, bringing seamless mental health monitoring to our app. We then integrate these assessments into the app experience as part of a user’s baseline health metrics. It’s important to note, we take your privacy seriously—Empirical Health requests explicit permission to access this information, and all data is stored and transmitted securely, ensuring it remains private and accessible only to you and those you choose to share it with.

When you complete an assessment in the iOS Health app, the data automatically syncs with Empirical Health, displaying your depression or anxiety risk alongside other key health metrics like resting heart rate, sleep, and exercise. You can also take these assessments directly within the Empirical Health app, with all data syncing to your Health app.

When you complete these assessments, we provide you with guidance for next steps, including when it’s recommended that you talk to a doctor. If you don’t have a primary care doctor, or can’t see them soon enough, you can book a video appointment with an Empirical Health doctor within the app.

Join us in revolutionizing mental health tracking—making proactive, AI-powered care accessible to everyone!