Goyang City Strengthens Mental Health Support Services
for Citizens' Mental Well-being and Suicide Prevention
Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) is attracting attention by continuously strengthening mental health management services and infrastructure for citizens' mental health and suicide prevention.
Goyang City Mental Health Awareness Improvement Public Lecture Campaign. Provided by Goyang Special City
According to Goyang Special City on the 11th, the lifetime prevalence of mental disorders is 27.8%, meaning that one in four adults has experienced mental health issues at least once in their lifetime. In contrast, the utilization rate of mental health services is relatively low at 12.1%, indicating a need to improve access to and use of mental health services.
Since 2018, South Korea has ranked first in suicide rates among 38 OECD member countries. According to the 2023 Cause of Death Statistics by Statistics Korea, the suicide rate per 100,000 people was 27.3 in 2023 (OECD average 10.7), and Goyang City's suicide rate was 23.4, which is lower than the national average (27.3) but still at a serious level.
In response, the city is enhancing the mental health safety net by increasing access to mental health services for citizens and systematically managing mental illnesses.
Goyang Special City operates a mental health management system covering children, adolescents, and high-risk groups. In cooperation with related organizations such as local daycare centers, kindergartens, and schools, it implements stress management, school violence prevention, and four major addiction prevention programs, and also provides customized programs such as counseling services and mental health seminars for young adults.
Operation of the Mind Health Bus Todak Todak Bus Visiting Goyang City. Provided by Goyang Special City
In particular, the visiting mental health bus, "Todak Todak Bus," directly visits citizens who have difficulty accessing mental health services and provides free stress measurement and mental health checkups.
Additionally, the nationwide Mind Investment Support Project, which started in July last year, will continuously provide professional psychological counseling vouchers to citizens in need of counseling for anxiety, depression, and other issues.
The city is strengthening safety nets to prevent suicide in daily life.
The Life Respect Safe Village Project is a core task of the 5th Basic Suicide Prevention Plan and implements proven suicide prevention projects at the neighborhood level. Through a cooperative system with related organizations, it builds a community suicide prevention safety net by identifying and referring high-risk groups, blocking suicide means, training life guardians, and conducting awareness improvement campaigns.
Last year, Goyang City cooperated with 132 institutions in 14 neighborhoods to identify 221 people at risk of suicide (a 26.2% increase compared to the previous year) and linked them with the Goyang City Suicide Prevention Center to provide suicide crisis support services and treatment expenses, leading to a reduction in suicide rates. This year, the Life Respect Safe Village Project will expand its target areas to 18 administrative neighborhoods in Goyang City and establish a dense suicide prevention safety net.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang City emphasized, "We plan to increase access to mental health services for citizens experiencing psychological and emotional difficulties," adding, "We will systematically manage mental illnesses to create a healthy Goyang City with a solid mental health safety net."
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