The Ministry of Science and ICT said it has earmarked 14 billion won until 2024 for the research programme, while the private sector will invest 14.9 billion won, reports Yonhap news agency.
‘Digital treatment methods, such as games and virtual reality software, have recently drawn attention as a possible alternative to treat and prevent mental health disorders without direct physical care.’
The research aims to develop a digital service that offers personalised depression diagnoses based on real-time collection and analysis of user data, as well as a service that provides preventative measures against the disease by using smartphones and other mobile devices.
Experts across various fields, from artificial intelligence to mental health, will take part in the research, including Kim Hyung-sook, a cognitive science professor at Hanyang University.
Naver Cloud, the cloud arm of South Korea’s internet giant Naver Corp., will also participate in the program to build a cloud infrastructure for the digital platforms.
Source: IANS
