Tackling Mental Health at Verily

We see mental health as a critical part of the care of a whole individual, and recognize that people with other chronic diseases have a disproportional incidence of mental health conditions, such as depression and other mood disorders. Unfortunately, mental illness often goes undetected for months or even years and existing treatments remain only partially effective, thereby making these conditions the most disabling and costly in the world.

One of the primary challenges in mental health is the lack of an objective, precise and comprehensive measurement system. We believe technology will play a critical role in this area with the untapped potential of digital measurement to enable earlier diagnosis and intervention. We are collaborating closely with our machine learning colleagues, who are collecting deep datasets across other chronic conditions. Leveraging these core capabilities, our goal is to develop a next generation measurement-based care platform that will empower a holistic and personalized approach to treatment.

We’ve conducted in-depth user studies with patients, providers and payors, and what we learned is that the fundamentals of our success will be based on enabling greater access to a human-centered care experience that moves treatment decision-making from guesswork to data-driven precision. Our team is translating these principles into a solution set that will be designed for individuals with depression, one of the most prevalent mental health disorders.

Our team at Verily is evolving, but our vision and commitment remain steadfast. We are bidding a fond farewell to Dr. Thomas Insel, who has helped shape our vision and to build a multidisciplinary team of mental health clinical researchers, data scientists, product designers, and software engineers, all passionately committed to rethinking the way we approach diagnosis and care in mental health. We look forward to carrying this vision forward!

Posted by Danielle Schlosser, PhD, Clinical Research Scientist and Collin Walter, MBA, Platform Manager