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Comment by light_hue_1 | Hacker News Reader

> Something I really worry about with these apps is that they now have a financial incentive to find more people with mental health issues.

And thank goodness they are getting more people in. The biggest problem in mental health is that the majority of people who need help don't get it.

> Mental health issues can spread socially

No they can't. There is zero evidence that you can get clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, or anything else serious socially.

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> There is zero evidence that you can get clinical depression ... socially

it's more likely that because someone you know or interact with socially admitting to having depression, and thus, clear the stigma for yourself to also admit/recognize it too. Might actually be a good outcome.

Financial incentives to "get everyone in" are very much not a good thing.

It wasn't too long ago that ADD/ADHD panic was absolutely massive. Half the boys at my school were on ADHD meds. Any time a boy acted out, teachers at my school would make a call to their parents to persuade them to see a doctor and get some ritalin or whatever else they handed out by the bucketful. I was a quiet kid and sometimes--maybe once a week--would have goofy moments and that was enough to have my family get a call. 10 year old boys aren't meant to be chained down to desks all day--meds and ADD panic were a way for people to solve a "problem" of energetic kids and someone was glad to make money off it. Some kids do legitimately have disorders and need help, but some things we just grow out of.

This stuff shouldn't be for profit. Someone, somewhere, is all too eager to get people hooked on the idea that they have a problem and the only cure is what they're selling. Digital marketers and tech investors in particular are eager to jump on this. They love preying on the vulnerable and making them feel more vulnerable.

I think back on Finnish school system. Where lessons were 45 minute with 15 minute break outside every hour. I can see that sort of regime clearly helping the boys with normal attention spans and need to get some energy off...

And I think just this alone helped to manage most of them to regular adulthood.

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