In the US, where the PHQ-9 will be rolled out initially, the statistics are similar: around one in five Americans experience an episode of clinical depression in their lifetime, per NAMI, but only around half of those with depression receive treatment.

Google isn’t the first tech company to try and help its users identify and tackle mental health issues. In October 2016, Instagram introduced a feature allowing users to flag if they were worried about another person’s mental health based on their posts.

Instagram would then send that person a message of support, along with a list of useful helplines and other ways of seeking help.

It is not yet known whether the PHQ-9 or something like it will be launched on Google in the UK, but we think it seems like a sensible idea. Professional help is often the only way to get on top of a serious mental health issue – and we’re in favour of anything that steers people towards getting the support they need.

Images: iStock

How Google is trying to help users struggling with depression