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.