Rumor Claims watchOS 7 Will Have 'Mental Health Capabilities' to Detect Panic Attacks

[meady100]

In my experience panic attacks mostly occur through negative anticipation. Through cognitive therapy and the realisation that they are harmless, this anticipation diminishes, and in turn so do the attacks. The idea of a bodily item persistently giving potential 'warnings' of these events strikes me as completely counterproductive.
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As someone who's had panic attacks before, drawing attention to it, especially if it's only the beginning stages of one, just tends to make it worse (I've been able to avert one by getting my mind off of it).

I have also suffered them and completely agree. They begin to dissipate as you ignore, then forget them. This constant reminder and warning is utterly misjudged.

 

[Ankaa]

In my experience panic attacks mostly occur through negative anticipation. Through cognitive therapy and the realisation that they are harmless, this anticipation diminishes, and in turn so do the attacks. The idea of a bodily item persistently giving potential 'warnings' of these events strikes me as completely counterproductive.
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I have also suffered them and completely agree. They begin to dissipate as you ignore, then forget them. This constant reminder and warning is utterly misjudged.

Sounds more like anxiety attacks, not panic attacks. There is a BIG difference, but unfortunately people don’t know the difference and use the terms interchangeably.

Actual panic attacks can be triggered by a lot of things, of which negative anticipation is only one. Panic attacks are part of more conditions than just panic disorder and GAD.

 

[PostApple2016BrainWash]

Apple has been using a plethysmograph to detect heart rate since series 0 on the Apple watch. This can technically measure oxygen level as well. This means that this feature can likely come to all watches.

To quote iFixit:
Apple’s heart rate monitor is actually a plethysmograph that looks and acts like a pulse oximeter, but Apple isn’t claiming it can measure your blood oxygen level.

Source: https://www.ifixit.com/News/7158/apple-watch-teardown-2

It is paramount for Apple to get it right and help improve the accuracy of blood oxygen level.

 

[itsamacthing]

Alert: you have been triggered! panic!

 

[Icaras]

Checks watch. Oh crap. I’m having a panic attack! What do I do?? Ahhhh!!

Tap “Dismiss”.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Blood oxygen level, along with blood glucose level (I’m skeptical we’re anywhere near that) monitoring on an Apple Watch would be revolutionary.

 

[JayKey]

But does it work in temperatures below freezing? Apple devices have been really bad at that.

 

[Coconut Bean]

The feature isn’t for you. The feature is for people like my 35 year old roommate who thought he was having a heart attack, but his Watch 4 only showed a high heart rate, nothing else. If the watch instead could have told him he was having a panic attack, and then help him with deep breathing, it could have saved him the cost of an emergency room visit

There is big problem with giving non-professionels available data about their own health. There is a video I recommend watching of a heart specialist explaining why it is dangerous to tag everyone with an apple watch and constantly monitor their heart rate.

Basically the argument is that the body (heart) does irregular things pretty frequently, that while would be signs of an issue if the patient was older, had these more frequently etc.

For Apple and the individual, it is better to increase sensitivity and calibrate triggers accordingly. Basically you fire of warnings more often than you'd have to. For apple it's obvious, they want to have the success stories of lives saved and they don't carry the cost of visiting the doctor unnecessary, the patients/insurer (direct cost) and the health care system does (indirect,capacity constraints).

On the flip side it can give an assurance of good heart and disincentivize people who actually would need regular ekg to not do, because they seem apple watch to be sufficient.

It is all about priors in this case, for elderly people in the risk zone it's great, but for younger people,with very low prior likelihood of having a heart disfunction it will just fire off false positives.

Same can applied on this suggested health feature. It would likely tell me once a year that I am having a panic attack even though I never had one.

 

[femike]

Apple is searching for things to add to the watch, and this is what the committee has come up with.

 

[yellow8]

I love Apple devices, but if I'm to wear an Apple Watch, I'll definitely have a panick attack.

 

[itsmilo]

I’d have a panic attack worrying about the watch telling me that I could have a panic attack at any moment.

as a big „what if“ person myself that always worries about what could happen, this seems counterproductive

 

[Seanm87]

As others have said this is a stupid idea. It will just put people on edge that they will have a panic attack hence a self fulfilling prophecy.

 

[laudern]

Panic attack detector. Yeah why don't they invest in something that is actually useful and treat a real/more important medical condition like a blood sugar reader.

 

[djgamble]

If it could reduce the usage of those bloody tortured dogs whose existence is to detect people who are about to flip out then present themselves to be used as stress relief, it'd be a winner.

I know such dogs can be really useful but it disturbs me to see us using animals like that. A machine would be much better IMO.

Panic attack detector. Yeah why don't they invest in something that is actually useful and treat a real/more important medical condition like a blood sugar reader.

See above (assuming they mean anxiety attacks rather than sudden blood loss).

People with PTSD and stuff would benefit greatly from knowing that attacks are about to hit them so that they can take time out and look after themself instead of escalating it all.

 

[chucker23n1]

The amount of people in the comments speaking about "panic attacks" (even making fun of them) without obviously knowing what an actual panic attack is is too. damn. high.

Yup. They think they’re being funny, but they’re mostly just uninformed and making light of a serious topic.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

good way to make people more anxious

That makes no sense. The heart rate monitor doesn’t make your heart rate spike. Why would an anxiety monitor make it more likely to be anxious?
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As others have said this is a stupid idea. It will just put people on edge that they will have a panic attack hence a self fulfilling prophecy.

Panic attacks don’t work that way. And even if it did, the monitor would have the opposite effect. If you were once prone to be on edge about having panic attacks the watch could give you assurance that you are not having one.

 

[Guacamole]

when it can predict the lotto numbers I will get one

 

[x-evil-x]

That makes no sense. The heart rate monitor doesn’t make your heart rate spike. Why would an anxiety monitor make it more likely to be anxious?
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Panic attacks don’t work that way. And even if it did, the monitor would have the opposite effect. If you were once prone to be on edge about having panic attacks the watch could give you assurance that you are not having one.

because causing attention to it will enhance it. You don't need another device telling you are having a panic attack it will make it worse...
The more I think its going to happen isn't a good thing for me.
Now if my watch can distract me and get me doing something I can focus on that will actually help.

 

[manu chao]

Due to health issues I mentioned on another thread, I’m really hoping for a blood oxygen monitor. You can derive a lot from having that information.

The Fitbit Ionic was released in September 2017, the Versa in April 2018, the Charge 3 in October 2018, all having blood oxygen sensors. It wasn't until January 2020 that Fitbit enabled the readout from its blood oxygen sensor from these devices in a user-facing way (and even then with only showing its trend over time and not absolute values).

It has been said that Apple Watch had the same sensing capabilities for a similar amount of time but like Fitbit wouldn't expose those capabilities because they weren't sure enough about the quality of the data and/or needed to figure out a way to present its results without falling foul of medical device regulations.

 

[Bonte]

wearing a device on your wrist that will alert you that you're having a panic attack is like wearing a device on your belt to tell you when you hiccuped

what an idiotic idea.

The app could warn parents or friends when that happens and give the location, it's not that hard to find uses for it.

 

[LeeW]

I suffer from panic attacks all my life, actually very fit and healthy in my view. Never really understood why I get them but I have learnt to manage them. Speaking from personal experience of which I have lots in 48 years this is a bad idea for most. Being warned one is coming will only increase the effects and cause more issues. False positives will cause panic attacks.

That said if someone who does not handle them well is able to notify another that is happening, I could see how that would be useful. And in some other circumstances.

 

[johnmed]

Due to health issues I mentioned on another thread, I’m really hoping for a blood oxygen monitor. You can derive a lot from having that information.

I’m (perhaps stupidly) holding off on buying a standalone blood oxygen monitor in the hope the next revision of the Apple Watch has one built in.

From what I’ve read AW has the Oximeter HW currently. Obviously it isn’t supported. Wait for the AW6 with exactly the same Oximeter HW supported as an exclusive to that generation.

Classic Apple.

 

[Allwrong]

I get what a lot of people are saying about no needing to know when an attack is coming on. I also understand that having the watch alert you could possibly heighten the anxiety. Where I think this would be ideal is people that are unaware of what they might be experiencing. As a friend of mine had his first one he called me and started telling me what was happening and I calmed him down and he seen his physician and is now on medication should another come on. That is another area where this could fall. If you have a fast acting medication to calm you the watch could warn that a panic attack could be near and you could take the medication ahead of it. So maybe it isn't for you but I think it will be very helpful to many.

 

[manu chao]

There is big problem with giving non-professionels available data about their own health. There is a video I recommend watching of a heart specialist explaining why it is dangerous to tag everyone with an apple watch and constantly monitor their heart rate.

Basically the argument is that the body (heart) does irregular things pretty frequently, that while would be signs of an issue if the patient was older, had these more frequently etc.

You mean people might get a panic attack if their watch warns them about a heart issue?

For Apple and the individual, it is better to increase sensitivity and calibrate triggers accordingly. Basically you fire of warnings more often than you'd have to. For apple it's obvious, they want to have the success stories of lives saved and they don't carry the cost of visiting the doctor unnecessary, the patients/insurer (direct cost) and the health care system does (indirect,capacity constraints).

This can increase costs (though who knows what the overall balance is), but I wouldn't call it dangerous unless you have a system where high costs are the reason not everybody has access to healthcare.

On the flip side it can give an assurance of good heart and disincentivize people who actually would need regular ekg to not do, because they seem apple watch to be sufficient.

It is all about priors in this case, for elderly people in the risk zone it's great, but for younger people,with very low prior likelihood of having a heart disfunction it will just fire off false positives.

Same can applied on this suggested health feature. It would likely tell me once a year that I am having a panic attack even though I never had one.

You can look at all kind of safety measures (eg, smoke detectors), the danger from people feeling safer and being less careful is almost always outweighed by the benefits.

 

[SgtPepper12]

The amount of people in the comments speaking about "panic attacks" (even making fun of them) without obviously knowing what an actual panic attack is is too. damn. high.

Loosen up. Joking about it helps, believe it or not. Once you can't laugh about it, you are taking it way too seriously. Nobody is personally mocking anyone, it's fine. Also stop relativizing people's subjective experiences. You said it yourself, people have different experiences with this phenomenon, stop telling people what they have isn't "real" enough. Speaking of mental health awareness month.

Anyways, the first time I had a panic attack I was pretty convinced I'm about to have a heart attack or something. It felt very real and very threatening. I can see how having that watch tell you that it's "just" a panic attack would have been helpful. On the other hand, if the watch told me that back then, I probably never would have gone to the doctor, which in retrospect was one of the better decisions in my life. So I don't know, doesn't seem clear to me whether this is overall beneficial, which kinda sums up what I feel about the Apple Watch.