Nearly 60% of Callers Are in Their Teens and Twenties
The Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation announced on July 10 that over the past 14 years, it has conducted 10,199 counseling sessions through the 'SOS Lifeline' and, in cooperation with the 119 rescue team, has rescued 2,326 individuals.
The SOS Lifeline is an emergency counseling phone installed on bridges to offer comfort and protect the precious lives of individuals in crisis who come to the Hangang River. The Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation currently operates a total of 75 SOS Lifeline phones across 20 bridges, providing telephone counseling 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Recently, as part of the annual suicide prevention campaign 'Be:liveU,' all 75 SOS Lifeline phones were replaced and upgraded with new designs.
By type of counseling issue, interpersonal relationships and adjustment accounted for 2,502 cases (about 20%), making it the most common. This was followed by concerns about career and academics with 2,243 cases (about 18%), and feelings of lethargy and anxiety about life with 1,988 cases (about 16%).
By age group, people in their 20s accounted for 3,213 cases (about 32%), and teenagers accounted for 2,706 cases (about 26%), making up about 58% combined. By gender, men accounted for 5,779 cases (about 57%), and women accounted for 3,582 cases (about 35%). By time of day, the period between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. had the highest proportion of calls.
Kim Jungseok, Executive Director of the Life Insurance Social Contribution Foundation, stated, "The SOS Lifeline has served as a social safety net on the front lines, providing emotional comfort to countless individuals and protecting precious lives over the past 14 years." He added, "Through the Be:liveU annual suicide prevention campaign, we plan to operate mental health hotlines not only on Hangang bridges but also in urban areas, so that people in crisis or those concerned about their mental health can seek counseling."
If you are experiencing depression or other difficult emotions, or if you know a family member or acquaintance facing such struggles, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the suicide prevention hotline at ☎109 or via the suicide prevention SNS counseling service 'Madeullan.'
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
