Half of Mental Rehabilitation Facilities Concentrated in Capital Area... Regional Mentally Disabled People Marginalized

Results of the Human Rights Commission Survey

National Human Rights Commission building. Photo by Human Rights Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Nearly half of the nationwide mental rehabilitation facilities are concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, leaving mentally disabled individuals living in rural areas deprived of rehabilitation and recovery services.

On the 25th, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced the results of a survey on the current status of mental rehabilitation facilities and community mental health services for the mentally disabled from a human rights perspective.

According to the Human Rights Commission's survey, as of 2018, there were 2,077 mental health promotion facilities installed and operating nationwide. By type, there were 1,670 mental medical institutions, 59 mental care facilities, and 348 mental rehabilitation facilities.

However, nearly half of the mental rehabilitation facilities available in the community, 169 facilities (48.6%), were concentrated in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Mental rehabilitation facilities provide social adaptation training and life guidance to help people with mental illnesses live together in the community. They can be seen as facilities that best embody the current Mental Health Welfare Act’s intent to minimize hospitalization or admission and prioritize community-based treatment.

By type of mental rehabilitation facility, there were 188 group homes (54.0%), 85 day rehabilitation facilities (24.4%), 20 comprehensive facilities (5.7%), and 19 residential facilities (5.5%). Additionally, there were 15 vocational rehabilitation facilities (4.3%), 10 child and adolescent mental health support facilities (2.9%), 7 community transition facilities (2.0%), and 4 addiction rehabilitation facilities (1.1%).

Nationwide vocational rehabilitation facilities are operated as follows: 6 in Seoul, 3 in Busan, 2 in Gyeonggi, and 1 each in Incheon, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Jeju. Community transition facilities include 4 in Seoul and 3 in Gyeonggi, while all 10 child and adolescent mental health support facilities are concentrated in Seoul.

As of 2018, the estimated population of people with severe mental illnesses nationwide was approximately 310,000. However, only 6,622 people used mental rehabilitation facilities, resulting in a utilization rate of 2.14%.

The research team led by Professor Kang Sang-kyung of Seoul National University’s Department of Social Welfare, who conducted this survey, pointed out, "Although the responsibility for installing and operating welfare services, including mental rehabilitation facilities, has been transferred to local governments, they have not fulfilled this responsibility," and emphasized that "urgent measures are needed, such as strengthening the legal responsibility of central and local governments for building community infrastructure."

The research team further recommended, "Defining opposition to facility installation as discriminatory behavior under the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, establishing specific legal grounds for welfare support for the mentally disabled, and legislating community linkage after discharge through discharge planning before discharge from mental medical institutions."

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission will hold a policy forum along with the announcement of the survey results at 2 p.m. on the same day via the Human Rights Commission’s YouTube channel.

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