Ukrainian neuroscientists have created a unique technology that will help the military.
Ukrainian neuroscientists have created a unique technology that will help the military.
Ukrainian startup Anima has announced the launch of an office for military psychologists, which will allow them to assess the level of anxiety, depression and stress resistance of military personnel using a neuroscientific tracker. The team is currently collecting applications from interested therapists.
Anima is a platform founded by entrepreneur Roman Havrysh and neuroscientist Sergey Danilov. The basis of the project is an innovative test that, with the help of eye movement tracking, allows you to determine the level of stress, anxiety or depression. The test is conducted on an online platform using a webcam.
Now therapists will have the ability to keep track of clients, schedule appointments/sessions, conduct screenings and surveys of clients, and keep a history of their condition. It will also be possible to use an AI assistant, specially trained on psychological data, to help determine the state of the ward, draw up a treatment plan and provide supervision. Basically, this is a kind of CRM system for therapists + AI assistant.
In the process of testing, the military is shown two types of images — emotionally neutral (landscapes, animals, urban views) and trigger (trenches, wounds, destroyed cities, mutilated bodies, etc.). The software analyzes how a person reacts to each type of image, determining whether they avoid or focus on the threat.
This method helps military psychologists to timely detect the first changes in the mental state of soldiers, prevent the negative consequences of combat stress and ensure the effectiveness of combat tasks.
All test results of the wards are coded and stored in the therapist’s office. Anima does not save any data and does not record videos or images during the test. To register on the platform, military personnel use only their pseudonym.
Military psychologists can monitor the dynamics of the military, prescribe new tests, see the history of patients and keep their own notes in one place, which simplifies their work.
«At the front, it is important to distinguish between a natural reaction to severe stress and a true disorder, because they often look very similar, but require a different approach. Anima helps military psychologists and commanders more accurately diagnose the condition of soldiers. Allows you to clearly see who needs operational support on the ground and who needs specialized support outside the garrison. This approach saves resources, quickly restores the combat capability of the unit, and increases the confidence of commanders in the work of the psychological service,» says Victor Komarenko, psychologist officer of the 3rd OShBr, co-founder of the Beehiveor neurotechnology company.
Use of the platform is free for the military. In particular, the office is already actively used by psychologists in the Third Separate Assault Brigade. It’s a convenient solution for monitoring and documenting military mental health, which is critical to their effectiveness and safety.
All willing therapists can access the office. Military psychologists should write to [email protected], interested therapists to [email protected].
