Gangbuk-gu Focused Care for High-Risk Groups of 'Corona Blue'

Providing Solutions with 'Psychological Support Recovery Service' and 'Non-face-to-face Mental Health Program'... 'Mind Health Kit' Contributes to Psychological Recovery, Composed of Mind Health Workbook, Horticultural Therapy Set, etc.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Kyumsu) is strengthening the management of high-risk groups for 'Corona Blue' due to the prolonged impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The main reason for focusing on managing high-risk groups for 'Corona Blue' is the increasing number of counseling cases from residents complaining of depression and anxiety disorders. In fact, the Gangbuk-gu Mental Health Center recently reported a significant increase in psychological counseling cases over the past few months. Of approximately 3,000 counseling sessions conducted over the past six months, more than 1,400?nearly half?occurred in just the last two months.

As 'Corona Blue' spreads, the district has sought solutions by expanding the 'Non-face-to-face Mental Health Program' and 'Psychological Support Recovery Service.' A representative non-face-to-face mental health project is the 'Mental Health Kit.'

The 'Mental Health Kit' mainly consists of a 'Mental Health Workbook' for psychological recovery, colored pencils, a gardening set, masks, and other items. In particular, growing tomatoes, herbs, and other plants included in the gardening set helps relieve daily stress, aids emotional regulation, and provides comfort. The district has currently distributed 3,000 kits to socially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and to local schools.

Earlier in March, the district formed a 'Psychological Support Recovery Service' support team composed of mental health specialists and professionals. The team closely monitors residents' symptoms of depression and anxiety through phone calls and social networking services (SNS). To regulate emotions within families, they provide case management and information via SNS (KakaoTalk, Facebook) video calls, serving as a social connection link.

The support team offers customized prescriptions according to the high-risk group's situation and connects them to psychological support centers and medical institutions if professional treatment is needed. For residents who find treatment difficult due to financial hardships, a system has been established to provide medical expense support following proper procedures.

Mayor Park Kyumsu of Gangbuk-gu said, "Counseling cases reporting depression are increasing regardless of age, generation, or gender, which is a concerning situation. We will devote efforts to carefully monitoring residents' mental health through more sophisticated and customized support for high-risk groups of Corona Blue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.