Why Did Nowon-gu Directly Manage Counseling Centers for Children, Adolescents, and Seniors?

Nowon-gu, Senior Counseling Center, Direct Management of Public Counseling Center for Children and Adolescents

Social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years... Complaints of anxiety and depression continue even after the endemic phase

Experts warn of mental health red flags especially for children and the elderly... The district expects to establish a community psychological support system through direct counseling and linkage programs

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will directly operate counseling centers to protect the mental health of children, adolescents, and seniors experiencing psychological and emotional difficulties.

According to the "2022 Q2 COVID-19 National Mental Health Survey" conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare last August, the depression risk group accounted for 16.9%, which is five times higher than the 3.2% recorded in 2019 before COVID-19.

Experts say that although people of all ages have reported anxiety, depression, and loneliness as aftereffects of COVID-19, the shadow of the pandemic has been concentrated on children and the elderly generations.

Over the past three years, social distancing has greatly affected children and adolescents for whom a sense of belonging is important, and the elderly, who have a high rate of living alone, have faced increased risks of depression due to growing concerns about solitary deaths.

Considering the social seriousness of mental health management, the district will directly operate tailored counseling centers for the psychological stabilization of children, adolescents, and the elderly.

First, for seniors, the 'Nowon Senior Counseling Center' has been established on the 4th floor of the Nowon-gu Surak Senior Welfare Center located in Sanggye-dong. It provides counseling on various needs such as elderly suicide, depression, and sexual issues, and offers solutions through psychological stabilization programs and case management.

The support targets seniors aged 65 and older and their families within the district, who can participate free of charge regardless of income through application. Registered seniors receive counseling sequentially by professional counselors according to the urgency and order of their cases. For those who find it difficult to visit in person, outreach counseling or telephone counseling is also available.

As the first in the nation to adopt a direct operation method by a local government for a senior specialized counseling center, the district plans to cover a wide range of counseling topics related to the elderly and ensure the continuity of counseling services.

The public counseling center for children and adolescents is also operated directly. The public counseling center 'Nabom,' located on the 3rd floor of the Nowon-gu Child Welfare Center in Junggye-dong, runs various programs such as counseling therapy and coaching aimed at resolving emotional difficulties of children and adolescents by creating a long-term psychological treatment environment.

The support targets children and adolescents aged 6 to 18. However, specialized coaching, play therapy, and counseling aimed at alleviating emotional and behavioral issues for vulnerable groups are conducted through referral applications from affiliated institutions. To expand counseling support, vulnerable groups with household income below 120% of the median income can also participate through parental application. Counseling applications can be made by phone.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “Many people are experiencing psychological difficulties due to various recent social anxieties,” and added, “We will continue to expand psychological support services for various age groups, including children, adolescents, and seniors.”

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