South Korea’s DoctorPresso launches an app to detect depression through voice

Mental health challenges are on the rise, and South Korean startup DoctorPresso is taking an innovative approach with a new app called REDI. This voice-based diary app detects early signs of depression by analyzing users' speech patterns, offering a revolutionary way to monitor and manage emotional well-being.

As depression affects over 258 million people worldwide, new tools like REDI are poised to transform mental health care and provide more accurate insights into an individual's emotional state.

How does it work?

REDI operates by analyzing four key characteristics of a user's voice: average pitch, pitch variability, spectral centroid, and spectral roll-off. As depression worsens, these elements tend to change — lower pitch, greater variability, and shifts in voice frequency range can all be indicators. REDI's AI takes these variables and classifies users into three categories: non-depressed (ND), mild depression (mDE), and major depressive episode (MDE). By identifying subtle changes in speech patterns, the app aims to give users real-time feedback about their mental health that traditional methods, like questionnaires, may miss.

"While someone might not realize they're depressed, their voice often carries subtle clues," explains Dr. Shin, CMO of DoctorPresso.

This technology captures those clues to provide insights to help individuals better understand their emotional state.

Why does it matter?

Depression is a leading cause of disability and lost productivity globally, and traditional screening methods often fall short in capturing the full picture of a person's mental health. REDI addresses this gap by providing more nuanced and real-time detection of depressive states. Its AI-powered voice analysis offers a non-intrusive, private way for people to keep track of their mental well-being.

What sets REDI apart is its strong emphasis on privacy. Using a Small Language Model (SLM) to process voice data directly on the user's device, REDI ensures that sensitive information stays private. This is crucial in an age where many AI tools rely on cloud-based data processing, which can compromise user privacy.

As HwanBo Jung, CEO of DoctorPresso, puts it: "With REDI, we're giving people the power to take control of their mental well-being in a way that's easy, private, and effective."

The context

Mental health care is rapidly evolving, and the development of REDI reflects the growing need for accessible, proactive tools. With limited access to mental health professionals and the stigma that often surrounds seeking care, many people hesitate to address their mental health struggles until it's too late. REDI's real-time, voice-based analysis could be the answer to this challenge, helping millions of people recognize the early warning signs of depression.

REDI also integrates lifestyle tracking through its habit-tracking calendar, monitoring factors like sleep, alcohol consumption, and physical activity — habits that are closely tied to mental health. By connecting lifestyle patterns with emotional well-being, REDI aims to be an all-in-one mental health management tool. As DoctorPresso prepares to launch REDI globally, the app holds great potential to empower individuals to take charge of their mental health through simple, everyday actions like speaking.

In an era where mental health awareness is more important than ever, REDI could be the tool that helps millions rediscover their emotions — just by using their voice.