Symposium Promotional Poster for 'Promoting Mental Health in Civil Society and Eliminating Prejudice' (Photo by Seoul National University Hospital)
[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Seoul National University Hospital is hosting a symposium to dispel prejudices about psychiatric treatment.
Seoul National University Hospital announced on the 4th that it will hold a special public symposium titled "Promoting Mental Health in Civil Society and Dispelling Prejudice: Why Don't People Go to the 'Psychiatry Department'?" at 3 p.m.
The main topic of this symposium is the legal and institutional discrimination and stigma related to psychiatric treatment. Discrimination and stigma against psychiatric patients are cited as major factors that cause hesitation in seeking treatment even when there is a perceived need for care.
Considering the COVID-19 situation, the symposium will be broadcast live through the YouTube channel 'SNUH Public Health Medical Center.' Anyone interested in the event can participate. This symposium was planned based on research on mental health awareness and services conducted by the Department of Psychiatry at Seoul National University College of Medicine since 2019, funded by a donation from alumnus Kim Soon-kyun.
The event will feature congratulatory remarks from Kim Yeon-su, Director of Seoul National University Hospital, and Yeom Min-seop, Mental Health Policy Officer at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, followed by keynote presentations and a panel discussion.
The keynote presentations will be chaired by Professor Kim Ki-woong, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Seoul National University College of Medicine. Professor Park Ji-eun of the Department of Psychiatry will present on "The Current Barriers to Using Mental Health Services: Focusing on Online Social Media Big Data Analysis," followed by Professor Lee Dong-jin of Seoul National University Law School presenting on "Fact-Checking Legal and Institutional Discrimination Related to Psychiatric Diagnosis and Directions for Improvement."
The subsequent panel discussion will be chaired by Professor Ahn Yong-min of the Department of Psychiatry at Seoul National University College of Medicine, with participation from experts in civil society, journalism, the National Human Rights Commission, and mental health professionals. They plan to share opinions related to the keynote presentations. It is expected to provide a multifaceted perspective on legal and institutional discrimination related to mental health services.
Professor Park Ji-eun stated, “Although the utilization rate of psychiatric services is gradually increasing, the entry barriers remain high compared to other countries,” and added, “We expect to identify the barriers to psychiatric treatment and share future improvement directions with various experts,” highlighting the significance of the symposium.
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