Outstanding Achievements Including 5,300 Mental Health Consultations in Two and a Half Years
Customized Mental Health Management System Established Through Five-Field Jium Jigi Project
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Since its opening in 2017, the Mental Health Welfare Center in Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do has established itself as a guardian of the community’s mental well-being.
According to Gokseong-gun on the 23rd, the Mental Health Welfare Center opened in September 2017 on the second floor of a separate building at the county health medical center.
As its importance grew, in September 2019, a new building was constructed next to the health medical center to expand its functions.
Although it has been operating for less than three years, the center has already become an indispensable part of the local community. The center has conducted over 5,300 mental health counseling sessions and more than 5,400 mental health screening tests.
Additionally, through 233 mental health education sessions, it has disseminated mental health management techniques to 4,497 local residents. For registered members with severe mental illnesses, a total of 592 weekly rehabilitation programs were conducted, with 1,423 participants.
Furthermore, 77 sessions of gatekeeper training (training individuals to identify and continuously support people at risk of suicide to prevent suicide attempts) were held, empowering 2,473 people to act as life guardians.
Based on these achievements, the center is promoting mental health projects this year under the slogan ‘Jieum Jigi’ (知音知己: a friend who understands one’s innermost feelings). The projects are broadly divided into ▲ Hope Jieum, managing severe mental illness patients; ▲ Miso Jieum, targeting the entire community for early detection and prevention of mental illness; ▲ Silver Jieum, specialized for the elderly; ▲ Ai Jieum, for the mental health of children and adolescents; and ▲ Saengmyeong Jieum, for suicide prevention and fostering a culture of respect for life.
Through these efforts, the center aims to help those struggling with mental health challenges live confidently as healthy members of society without discrimination or prejudice. In particular, it strengthens initial counseling for accurate diagnosis of mental illnesses and provides various services to help those in need recover their mental health.
▲ Severe Mental Illness Management Project ‘Hope Jieum’
Generally, people tend to hold prejudices against severe mental illnesses. However, what these individuals need is consistent management, appropriate treatment, and social attention rather than negative views.
The severe mental illness management project focuses on identifying county residents experiencing mental health issues and providing systematic and continuous case management services to prevent chronic conditions. To this end, the center operates various programs in cooperation with local medical institutions and welfare facilities.
Rehabilitation programs such as making natural household products, ocarina, cooking is fun, mental rehabilitation programs, local cultural experiences, and vocational rehabilitation training are used to manage mental illnesses in a comprehensive and integrated manner. Additionally, to address accessibility issues due to regional distances, the center operates a mobile rehabilitation program called ‘Find the Smile.’ Family support programs, including family counseling, family education, and family healing programs, are also provided to improve family relationships and relieve stress.
▲ Mental Health Promotion Project for All Residents ‘Miso Jieum’
According to a community health survey, the rate of depression experience among Gokseong residents (the proportion of people who experienced sadness or despair interfering with daily life for two consecutive weeks or more in the past year) rose from 2.4% in 2014 to 7.5% in 2017. Fortunately, it slightly decreased to 4.1% in 2018, but without continuous intervention, it may rise again.
The 2019 Jeollanam-do mental health awareness survey showed that 95% of residents responded that they were willing to use the Gokseong-gun Mental Health Welfare Center.
This indicates that not only people with mental illnesses but also the general public have a strong interest in the importance and management of mental health.
The center strives to provide accurate information about mental health and reduce stigma related to mental illness for Gokseong residents. It also actively promotes mental health welfare projects so residents can visit the center comfortably at any time.
Representative programs include tailored mental health counseling and promotion programs for different life stages such as students and parents, university students, pregnant women, elderly using village senior centers, and elderly living alone. The center also focuses on early detection, prevention, and increased treatment opportunities through outreach education, mental health lectures, and training for related agency staff.
▲ Mental Health Promotion Project for a Happy Old Age ‘Silver Jieum’
As of the end of February this year, the elderly population ratio in the county exceeded 35%. Accordingly, the center has established a mental health service system for the elderly under the name ‘Silver Jieum.’
Silver Jieum supports a happy old age through prevention, early detection, and counseling treatment of mental health problems in old age. It manages depression and stress among seniors, provides age-appropriate customized education on mental health guidelines, and contributes to early prevention and detection of mental illnesses in old age.
Elderly people may experience rapid psychological changes due to physical ability changes, retirement, income reduction, and role reduction typical of old age. Especially when family support systems are weak, psychological changes can easily develop into mental health problems. To prevent this, the center conducts promotional campaigns and mobile counseling rooms at senior centers and village halls. Through screening tests, high-risk individuals are registered as center members and receive intensive case management. The center also operates various specialized mental health promotion programs.
▲ Mental Health Promotion Project for Children and Adolescents ‘Ai Jieum’
Recently, children and adolescents are exposed to various social environments, making them vulnerable to mental health threats such as role conflicts and identity confusion. Since childhood mental health affects adulthood, managing mental health is even more important.
The center conducts screening tests, expert counseling, and integrated case management for mental health issues in children and adolescents. It also promotes mental health prevention and improvement through education and awareness campaigns for parents, teachers, and students. Early intervention and treatment are key for mental health problems in children and adolescents.
Accordingly, the center establishes treatment connections with hospitals and related agencies for those with mental health issues and supports treatment and psychological test fees for low-income and vulnerable families.
▲ Life Respect Culture Leading Project ‘Saengmyeong Jieum’
The center also works on depression and suicide prevention through awareness improvement and suicide prevention education tailored to life stages. It operates the high-risk suicide group program ‘Life Shines Now’ to strengthen support systems and prevent suicide. For the psychological stability of suicide survivors, self-help groups and the program ‘Flowers of the Heart’s Blood’ are also run.
Additionally, the center promotes suicide means restriction and risk environment improvement projects such as ‘Life: House of Life,’ ‘Pat Pat Bottle Opener,’ ‘Bungeotan Suicide Prevention Project,’ and ‘Life Love Pharmacy.’ It leads the spread of a life-loving culture throughout the region by providing gatekeeper training and suicide prevention education to institutions and schools.
Center Director Yoon Hyunju said, “We will do our best to help local residents lead happy lives through customized mental health management and suicide prevention projects.”
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