Objectivity is the absolute key word in the process of disrupting the mental health tech space. When you read Medibio’s statement in the attached slide from their investor presentation you start to see why people like Michael Phelps and companies like Compass are eager to be early adopters.
I want to share a personal anecdote with you of why objectivity is so vital in the mental health space. I'm certain this experience is happening to hundreds of thousands of people all around the world and not just me:
5 years ago I was having a difficult time early in my marriage. Not overwhelmingly difficult but just your usual marriage friction stuff that led to arguing and some sleeping on the couch etc. At that time I was working for a large firm and as part of my employee benefits plan, I could have 5 free sessions with a psychologist every year. I decided to go in secret so I could learn some mechanisms to help with the arguments I was having with my wife and to strengthen our relationship.
When I sat down in the psychologists’ office, I immediately noticed that this ‘professional’ was really rushed and she was almost annoyed at me for just being there. I chose to move forward with my story and explained why I was there. I explained the mundane arguments my wife and I were having and where they were starting, from my perspective. Within 15 minutes of the session, this psychologist said ‘It really doesn’t sound like you guys are very compatible and it might be best to go separate ways’.
Now, I understand psychs will use questioning techniques to catch you off guard or try to dig deeper but she continued to express encouragement for a divorce. To the point where I asked her ‘don’t you think that’s a bit extreme when our arguments really aren’t that severe?’. She doubled down and reaffirmed why I should start thinking about a divorce. This was after 15 minutes of knowing me and not even knowing my wife! After the session she tried to book me in for 4 more sessions and I politely said ‘no, thank you’.
Now fast forward 5 years and I am head over heels in-love with my wife and we have a beautiful child. I feel like the luckiest man alive.
Can you see how detrimental subjective advice is to vulnerable patients? Can you see how the mood and personality of the professional can dramatically alter the course of a patient’s life?
At the moment, psychologists and psychiatrists use proven psychotherapy and medication to treat patients. But how can you really know if these methods are improving their patients mental well-being?
Imagine if there was some type of technology that would use Artificial Intelligence, deep learning algorithms and neural network methodology to identify biological markers and patterns and OBJECTIVELY show how depressed, anxious or otherwise a patient was? THEN a professional could use the reports from this tech side by side with psychotherapy and medication to track if it was having a benefit to the patient or not.
Medibio has exactly this. They have the technology, they have the patents and they have the results. The only thing lacking is attention. The greatest inventions without a concentrated PR campaign will not see the light of day. When the PR campaign begins you better hope you're an early investor because this is the future and that is that.
