'Mind Companion Center' Healed 14,000 Police Officers... Plans to Establish 3 New Centers Next Year Under Review

The National Police Agency is planning to establish additional 'Mind Companion Centers,' institutions that heal trauma (mental injuries) experienced by police officers during their duties, in three more regions next year.

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 21st, the National Police Agency is considering opening one Mind Companion Center each in Sejong Police Agency, Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency, and Gyeongnam Police Agency next year. The Mind Companion Centers are facilities that provide counseling and treatment for mental issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by police officers who frequently witness horrific incidents and accidents.

The police began pilot operations on August 21, 2013, and first established centers in 2014 at the Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Daejeon Police Agencies. Subsequently, new centers were opened in 2017 at the Police Hospital and Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency; in 2018 at Gangwon, Daegu, and Jeju Police Agencies; and in July 2019 at Incheon, Ulsan, Gyeonggi Bukbu, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam Police Agencies, bringing the total to 18 centers nationwide. If the three new centers are established next year, it will be the first expansion in five years. A National Police Agency official explained the regional selection by saying, "Among the three regions where new centers are being planned, Sejong currently does not have a Mind Companion Center," and "In Gyeonggi Nambu and Gyeongnam, the distance between cities and counties is large, so having only one center reduces accessibility for police officers."

The centers are staffed with nationally certified clinical psychologists or psychological counselors, enabling not only counseling but also integrated examinations and treatments in cooperation with hospitals. Currently, each center has between one and three counseling staff members, totaling 36 personnel who assist police officers with psychological treatment. Additional counseling staff will be assigned when new centers are established.

The number of police officers using the centers has steadily increased, from 6,183 in 2019 when 18 centers began operation, to 8,961 in 2020, 9,940 in 2021, 14,218 in 2022, and 8,484 in the first half of this year. Based on last year’s figures, more than 10% of the approximately 132,000 police officers used the centers. The number of visits also exceeded 20,000 for the first time in 2021 (21,881 visits) and increased to 25,974 visits last year. In the first half of this year, 17,804 visits were recorded.

A police sergeant who used the center said, "Receiving an analysis of my stress was refreshing and very helpful," adding, "Just knowing there was someone who made eye contact and listened made me feel at ease." Another police inspector shared, "I had a difficult time for nine months with claustrophobia and panic disorder, but I was greatly comforted and able to overcome it through the center."

A National Police Agency official stated, "Police officers are exposed to horrific scenes more often than any other profession and frequently suffer from complaints by civilians," adding, "We are promoting the expansion of the centers so that police officers who are physically and mentally exhausted can more easily receive psychological treatment."

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