People in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, practice social distancing while enjoying the warm spring sun and blooming flowers at Gyeongsanggamyeong Park, on March 25, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — With a growing number of people suffering from the so-called ‘corona blues,’ symptom of depressions and lethargy caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, medical authorities are using smartphone applications to introduce ways to mend psychological health.
The National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, introduced on Wednesday a new app, ‘Pat-pat for the soul’, to help those suffering from the corona blues.
This app asks users to read a scenario about everyday experiences, and learn about the cognitive errors that the protagonist makes throughout the story.
The app was designed by a joint research team from Korea University and Duksung Women’s University, while the NCMH funded the project.
“A scientific study confirmed that the app can reduce anxiety and depression, and the findings have been published in Telemedicine and e-Health,” the NCMH said.
According to the NCMH, the study involved 17 adults suffering from depression. Using the app, depressive symptoms dropped by 47 percent of the baseline, with anxiety down by 15.8 percent, and dysfunctional thoughts down by 14.2 percent.
The app also helped a number of medical workers emplopyed in fields exposed to the coronavirus or spending extensive hours in quarantine suits, the agency said.
“Psychological determination, if done incorrectly, can end up hurting one’s mental health or psychological growth,” said Prof. Heo Ji-won from the research team. “Using the app for three weeks whenever you feel the need will be helpful.”
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
