“…When committing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, world leaders emphasized the importance of promoting Mental health and well-being worldwide. Yet three years later, the situation remains grim. Every year, 800,000 lives are lost due to suicide. In the United States alone, one in five people is living with a mental illness, and 60% of them receive no treatment. The situation is far worse in many low- and middle-income countries …

International organizations are redoubling their efforts on this issue. Forward-thinking members of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Neurotechnologies recently convened to explore the many ways that rapid advances in telecommunications, big data analytics (including machine learning), mobile technologies and biosensors — loosely grouped together under the umbrella term “digital technologies” — are poised to have a profound impact on diverse aspects of mental healthcare and treatment …

Humanitarian, social and economic imperatives demand action from global leaders on mental health. Individuals and families are suffering. Economic costs are soaring. Lives are being lost. Nevertheless, the Council sees a promising path forward, driven by the growing ability to harness these ubiquitous technologies and apply them in an ethical manner to improve mental health outcomes worldwide.

–> Read full article The power of digital tools to transform mental healthcare over at the World Economic Forum blog.

Article in context:

• Five reasons the future of brain enhancement is digital, pervasive and (hopefully) bright
  
• Mindstrong Health identifies digital biomarkers of cognitive function using smartphone data
  
• Learn more and discuss at the 2019 SharpBrains Virtual Summit: The Future of Brain Health (February 26–28th)
  
• Presentation by Dr. Tom Insel at the 2017 SharpBrains Virtual Summit: