It is planning to invest $26.2 million in a
research programme using games and virtual reality for treating mental
disorders.
The South Korean Ministry of Science and
Information and Communications Technology is planning a 30 billion won ($26.2
million) investment in a research programme to develop digital treatments for
depression.
WHY IT MATTERS
Based on a news report by Seoul-based news
agency Yonhap, the number of South Koreans with depression in 2019 went up to
800,000; the figure was projected to continue rising due to the impact of
restrictions mounted against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research programme will see the development
of a digital service offering personalised depression diagnoses based on the
real-time collection and analysis of patient data.
The service will also provide preventive
measures against mental illness by utilising smartphones and other mobile
devices. Potential digital treatments include games and virtual reality.
The report noted that the Science and ICT
Ministry already set aside 14 billion won ($12.3 million) over the next four
years for the said research programme, while the private sector also made a
14.9 billion won ($13 million) investment.
It was also reported that Naver Cloud of
South Korean internet giant Naver Corp. was tapped to build a cloud
infrastructure for the programme's digital platforms.
THE LARGER TREND
Digitally enabled treatments are seen as
alternatives to conventional methods of treating mental health conditions.
Last month, South Korean telecommunications
firm KT Corporation entered into a strategic partnership with US-based
bioelectronics developer NeuroSigma to jointly develop and market new
electronic therapies for neurological and neuropsychological disorders, such as
ADHD, depression and epilepsy.
A year ago in July, Orexo unveiled its
latest digital treatment called deprexis for treating symptoms of depression.
Another digital health company, UpLift Health, created a mobile app that uses
cognitive behavioural therapy to help people dealing with depression. It
provides 12 rounds of a 45-minute chatbot-guided session where users can answer
questions, take mental health exercises and receive feedback and guidance.
Meanwhile, a subsidiary of Google's parent
Alphabet, X, disclosed in November that it was working on a project called
Amber to spot biomarkers of depression.
