Gangnam-gu, Healing Trip for Middle-Aged Women’s Hearts

Gangnam-gu, a Healing Journey for Middle-Aged Women’s Minds with Music

Gangnam-gu Mental Health Welfare Center to Operate 12 Sessions of Group Music Therapy for Depression Prevention in Middle-Aged Women from September to November

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seongmyeong) will operate a music therapy program called ‘Art On (溫), Spring’ for middle-aged women (ages 40 to 63) experiencing feelings of depression from September 4 to November 27.

Middle-aged women experience menopausal symptoms such as menopause and osteoporosis due to decreased female hormones along with physical aging. They also face loss of parental roles as their children leave home and experience deficiencies in social life, leading to lowered self-esteem, identity confusion, and feelings of depression. According to last year’s Gangnam-gu community health statistics, the stress recognition rate among women in their 40s was the highest at 34.3%, and the experience of depression among women in their 40s was 14.2%, second only to women in their 30s (15.0%).

The Gangnam-gu Mental Health Welfare Center has partnered with the Department of Music Therapy at Seoul Cyber University to present a music healing program to soothe the minds of these middle-aged women. The program will be held at the Mental Health Welfare Center every Monday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for a total of 12 sessions.

Participants will recover their minds through conversation and music by engaging in activities such as ▲writing a musical autobiography ▲recognizing emotions and expressing them through instruments ▲creating lyrics and melodies based on current emotions ▲moving their bodies to music ▲and compiling performances played together in the group for a concert. After the program, mental health assessments and counseling will be provided for high-risk groups.

Jo Seongmyeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “I hope this program will help middle-aged women wisely overcome menopause and live healthy lives,” and added, “We will continue to support various programs that manage depression according to life stages.”