Depression is one of the top global health problems. Direct and indirect costs caused by depression are high in particular in developed countries. According to WHO estimates a total of USD 1 trillion is lost each year related to depression and anxiety. Costs are incurred from lost productivity, early retirement, treatment etc. Alarming statistics from health professionals and health care payers in different countries show that mental health related costs are rising, in particular costs related to depression. In particular, rates of depression in the working population aged below 40 are rising rapidly. [http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/en/].
According to the various sources, such as CDC (Center for the Disease Control), only just over third of patients suffering from severe depression have seen a professional [https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/basics/mental-illness/depression.htm]. About 50% of patients suffering from depression receive adequate treatment from the first line of treatment. [WHO stats] Current available treatments for depression include pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and finally for severe depression electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
The objective of this project is to build a scalable treatment system based on evidence-based brain stimulation technologies to help solve the overwhelming problem of access-to-care and ineffective treatments. The objective is to build a brain stimulation platform with remote care capabilities, such that clinicians can monitor the adherence to the treatment and view patient analytics to optimize treatment outcomes. Further, the overall objective of the project is to improve the mass production capability of the unique patented patient interface material such that the product can be offered to a wider audience by reducing the cost of goods.
