Activation of In-depth Counseling for High-risk Groups... Expanding Targets and Relaxing Criteria
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As concerns grow over the deterioration of the public's mental health due to the recent resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government is stepping up psychological support and mental health measures.
On the 2nd, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Park Neung-hoo) held the 3rd meeting of the 'Inter-ministerial and Metropolitan/Provincial Consultative Body' formed to respond to COVID-19 depression, announcing that in addition to confirmed and quarantined individuals, additional psychological measures will be strengthened so that all citizens can overcome COVID-19 healthily.
First, outreach psychological support will be strengthened through the National Trauma Center and local government mental health welfare centers. Until now, the procedure for providing contact information of confirmed and quarantined individuals from city, county, and district health centers to the National Trauma Center and mental health welfare centers was not clearly defined, resulting in inconsistent practices across regions.
However, going forward, when confirmed cases occur, health centers will provide the contact information of the subjects to the National Trauma Center and mental health welfare centers within three days, enabling psychological support from the early stages of confirmation (quarantine).
In-depth counseling will be activated and expanded for high-risk groups requiring expert psychological consultation. When there are individuals needing expert counseling, the use of in-depth counseling will be actively promoted by simplifying the usage procedures and strengthening publicity targeting health centers, infectious disease specialized hospitals, and residential treatment centers.
Currently, psychological evaluation and basic counseling are provided at mental health welfare centers, and in-depth counseling is referred if the counselor deems it necessary. However, for response personnel, the procedure will be improved to allow them to directly request in-depth counseling without going through the mental health welfare centers.
Additionally, for vulnerable groups such as examinees, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, the criteria for providing in-depth counseling will be relaxed so that even if they do not meet the current standards, they can receive in-depth counseling based on the counselor's judgment that psychological anxiety requires assistance.
Mental health management services using smartphones will be activated, and participatory events will be held. Citizens will be able to check their mental state through non-face-to-face self-diagnosis online services such as KakaoTalk channels and mobile apps, and if additional counseling is needed, they can call the ‘Psychological Counseling Direct Line (1577-0199)’ to receive help or be connected to medical institutions.
On this day, Kang Do-tae, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "With the recent full-scale resurgence and strengthened quarantine measures minimizing daily encounters, combined with colder weather, the deterioration of the public's mental health is increasingly concerning," adding, "At times like these, psychological quarantine is as important as physical quarantine, and the relevant ministries and metropolitan/provincial governments will cooperate and work together to help citizens overcome anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
