The authors of the National Addiction Survey will create technology to accurately predict the onset of addiction cravings in addicts. Their goal is to create mobile applications that will help people with addictions to pornography, gaming and marijuana, among others, control use or persist in abstinence. We are happy to announce that we have supported the PredictWatch project. .
Digital addiction support involves recognizing patterns of behavior that accompany relapse and intervening in advance. The technology being developed as part of the Predict Watch project helps identify personal risk factors for people with addiction and intervenes when those factors escalate and the user needs support. The tool’s effectiveness in predicting such situations is based on machine learning algorithms that discover behavioral patterns that trigger cravings and relapse. Their performance is based on several years of research and data obtained from tens of thousands of addicts.
Seasoned battlers of addiction
PredictWatch was founded by scientists from the Polish Academy of Sciences: Maciej Skorko and Mateusz Gola, PhD. It was they who in 2018 and 2022 conducted the National Addiction Survey (more than 40,000 people participated in both editions) and, based on the results, developed the Addictionometer – a universal app that predicts nearly 90% of the risk of relapse to addictions at least 48 hours in advance. Addictometer supports users in dealing with any addiction. Later this year, the Predict Watch team will release the Cannabe app. This will be the company’s next step in developing an ecosystem of digital support for people struggling with addictions, this time already addressing a specific addiction. Next up will be pornography and video game addictions.
The Addictometer has successfully demonstrated that the effects of addiction therapy can be captured with effective digital tools. However, each addiction has its own peculiarities, and this argues for an individualized approach. With a proven model, we can focus on products that address specific addictions and support users in quitting them. This is the point at which we need an investor who will not only support us with development capital, but also help us get the finished product to the people who need it.
Mateusz Gola, Ph.D., PredictWatch
A burning issue
Problem use of substances and behaviors affects about 10-15% of the world’s population. Among the latter, problematic pornography use (PPU) or gaming disorder (GD) are becoming a growing problem. Studies in the US show that about 3-4% of men and 1-2% of women felt addicted to pornography. In the case of gaming disorder, it is estimated to affect between 0.7 and 27.5% of gamers (the discrepancies are due to significant differences between countries and survey methodologies).
– Statistics in recent years indicate that substance and behavioral addictions are becoming a very serious social problem. It is a worrying phenomenon that addicts are becoming younger and younger, the risk of addiction among adolescents and children is increasing . Unfortunately, while there is knowledge of alcohol and drug addictions in the public consciousness, the problem of behavioral addictions is still treated marginally. Mature digital solutions can be an effective response to this due to their effectiveness and high accessibility.
Łukasz Mańkowski, Managing Partner, Aligo VC
Cannabis use has also been on the rise in recent years, with 200 million people worldwide already doing it – five times the total population of Poland. In the past decade alone, the number of recreational marijuana users has increased by 60%. During the coronavirus pandemic, the frequency of cannabis use also increased significantly – during the lockdowns as many as 35% more people started doing it daily. There are now more than 13 million such people in the United States.
The market has familiarized consumers with marijuana, offering more and more cannabis-based products. It is also ubiquitous in mass culture and is often portrayed in a very positive light. . As a result, social acceptance of marijuana is growing, and with it the number of users. This group will include people who have formed some degree of behavioral addiction. We want to give them a tool that will support them in self-diagnosing their addiction, help restore control and perpetuate the effects of therapy. As a result, social acceptance of marijuana is growing, and with it the number of users. This group will include people who have formed some degree of behavioral addiction. We want to give them a tool that will support them in self-diagnosing their addiction, help restore control and perpetuate the effects of therapy.
Maciej Skorko, PredictWatch