The 2024 recipients of the Country Leadership Award for Singapore are MOHT & IMH for Project Hopes. 

Spearheaded by the team from MOHT and IMH, Project Hopes exemplifies groundbreaking creativity and a steadfast commitment to advancing mental health care.

In mental health, disparities have long existed, with those from less privileged backgrounds often facing significant barriers to accessing quality care. The MOHT and IMH teams have set a new standard for addressing these inequities. They have courageously embraced leading-edge technology, integrating multimodal digital phenotyping and machine learning algorithms to transform mental health care on a grand scale.

Launched in 2019, Project Hopes aimed to tackle one of the most pressing issues in mental health care: preventing psychiatric relapse and hospitalization among individuals with schizophrenia. The teams from MOHT and IMH conducted an exhaustive review of existing literature and commercial products before developing an innovative platform that captures an array of digital indicators, from mobility and psychomotor speed to socialization and physiological responses.

What sets Project Hopes apart is not just its technological prowess but its successful real-world application. Over a period of six months, patients engaged with this system, generating valuable data that was continuously analyzed to provide personalized, actionable insights. These insights were then seamlessly integrated into clinical workflows, allowing for tailored interventions in real time.

Project Hopes’s impact extends beyond its immediate success. It has sparked a broader movement towards translating technological innovations into practical, clinical solutions. Its achievements have inspired discussions about implementing similar approaches in large healthcare institutions worldwide.

Project Hopes is a testament to visionary thinking, rigorous science, and the power of technology to drive meaningful change. It represents a significant leap forward in mental health care, demonstrating that with bold ideas and dedicated implementation, we can achieve a more equitable and effective treatment landscape.

Congratulations MOHT & IMH!