Mental Health Apps: AI Surveillance Enters Our World - Mad In America

In 2018, California's state government began rolling out a new "mental health" initiative. The tech companies of Silicon Valley were creating smartphone apps that could prompt users to seek mental health care, and the state wanted to provide support. After all, researchers claim that more than half of Americans with mental health problems don't receive treatment, and one reason for that might be that treatment is expensive or unavailable in certain regions. Of the thousands of mental health apps in existence today, the state selected two. The first app is called 7 Cups, by a company called 7 Cups of Tea. They're focused on connecting mental health service users, in text-based chat sessions, with what they call "listeners"--volunteers who are trained in "active listening." But, according to The New York Times, the company has been plagued with issues, including listeners having inappropriate conversations with their clients and investigations of its alleged financial misconduct. The other company partnering with the state of California is Mindstrong Health. Their app (branded Mindstrong on March 17, 2020, previously known as Health) is available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. However, you can only use the app if you have been given a code to participate by one of the health insurance companies they've partnered with. The company won't tell you which companies they work with--it's by invitation only.