COVID-19 Depression Counseling... Find Mental Health Information All in One Place

Ministry of Health and Welfare to Launch 'National Mental Health Information Portal' Service on the 1st of Next Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] A new website will be established where information on mental health issues such as depression caused by COVID-19 can be found all in one place.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Kwon Deok-cheol) will launch the "National Mental Health Information Portal (http://www.mentalhealth.go.kr)" service from the 1st of next month, providing verified mental health information that the public needs in an integrated manner on a single site.

According to the National Mental Health Status Report, as of 2019, one in four adults aged 18 and over experienced a psychiatric disorder at least once in their lifetime.

In response, the government announced on the 14th in the "Comprehensive Plan for the Mental Health of All Citizens" that it will operate the "National Mental Health Information Portal" to promote the mental health of the entire population during the COVID-19 transition period.

This site offers self-assessment services by life cycle and by disease type (17 types). Portal users can search for location-based mental health-related institutions, medication information, and other necessary information to help utilize mental health services based on their self-assessment results.

Additionally, to dispel stigma and improve negative perceptions about mental illness, the site provides various content such as columns, recovery stories, card news, and videos.

It also regularly provides key mental health statistics, book information, app information, and research trends, allowing users to view the latest mental health status and related issues at a glance.

The National Mental Health Information Portal was jointly developed by the National Center for Mental Health and the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, and is operated and managed by the National Center for Mental Health.

Yeom Min-seop, Mental Health Policy Officer at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "We hope that by providing easy-to-understand and accurate mental health information, we can improve public access to information and help individuals protect their own and their families' mental health."