"Comforting Tired and Strained Hearts"... Bucheon City, Youth Mental Care Campaign

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province is conducting a mental health awareness campaign for youth called "Putting Heart into Heart" until the 31st.

Organized by the Bucheon Youth Counseling and Welfare Center, this campaign was planned to encourage young people to pay attention to their inner world and emphasize the importance of caring for it.

A mind care kit consisting of an "Emotion Journal," which allows youth to easily recognize and record their own emotions, and an "Emotion Doll," which provides comfort for tired and distressed feelings, will be provided to 200 young people.

A Bucheon city official stated, "Over the past five years, the number of children and adolescents nationwide suffering from mental illnesses has significantly increased from 220,587 in 2016 to 271,557 last year," adding, "Suicide has been the leading cause of death among youth for more than 10 years, making attention to youth mental health more important than ever."

To participate in the mind care campaign, youth must pre-register through the Bucheon Youth Counseling and Welfare Center website or online channels during the campaign period, then visit the nearest center to receive the mind care kit.

Additionally, an event sharing stories seeking comfort and reviews of using the mind care kit will be held simultaneously.

The Bucheon Youth Counseling and Welfare Center, operated by the Bucheon Women and Youth Foundation, is a specialized youth counseling institution providing comprehensive counseling and welfare services ranging from everyday concerns to emergency support in crisis situations.

This year, the center launched an online youth mind care platform called "Mind Click" (KakaoTalk channel "Bucheon Youth Counseling and Welfare Center") to provide various mental health information and lower the barriers to youth counseling.