[One Day One Thousand Characters] Invest in Your Mind This Week... 'Mental Health Week'

Mental Health Day, observed annually on October 10, was established to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to eliminate stigma surrounding mental illness. In South Korea, April 4 was initially designated as 'Mental Health Day' in 1968 to prevent untreated cases caused by negative perceptions and prejudice against mental illness. Later, in May 2017, with the revision of the Mental Health Welfare Act, October 10 was officially designated as the legal Mental Health Day. According to the "Act on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Support for Welfare Services for Mental Patients," October 10 of every year is Mental Health Day to raise awareness about mental health and reduce stigma, and the week including Mental Health Day is designated as Mental Health Week.

The National Center for Mental Health under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in observance of Mental Health Day on October 10, has designated October 9 to October 20 as the "2023 Mental Health Promotion Week" under the slogan "Let's Invest in Our Minds Together," conducting focused promotional activities on mental health. The National Center for Mental Health pursues various projects aimed at addressing mental illness from a societal perspective rather than an individual one, enhancing not only physical investment but also emotional investment and social interest.

On August 9, the National Center for Mental Health (Director Gwak Young-sook) held the '2023 National Center for Mental Health Ambassador Appointment Ceremony.'
[Photo by National Center for Mental Health]

During the "2023 Mental Health Promotion Week," a total of approximately 1,028 awareness improvement programs will be implemented nationwide with participation from the government, local governments, and the private sector. Notably, this year, eight youth ambassadors (Go Eunbyeol, Kim Suhyun, Kim Won, Moon Dana, Song Jiwon, Lee Seungyeop, Lee Jimin, Jo Donghwan) were appointed by the National Center for Mental Health to conduct participatory projects tailored to the perspectives and interests of young people.

As one of the youth participatory projects, the National Center for Mental Health is collaborating with Mental Health Korea and TikTok Korea to conduct a Mind Health Dance Challenge. The "I Am Me Dance" of the Mind Health Dance Challenge was created by youth ambassadors with advice from a dance movement therapy expert. The choreography conveys healthy messages about mental health, including meanings such as "Even if you feel depressed and struggling, we are always on your side," "It's okay to say you're having a hard time," and "We are all precious."

The campaign not only delivers mental health messages through choreography but also encourages sharing experiences related to mental health through posts such as dance challenges under the theme "#WeAreAllMindHeroesOnThisJourney (#MindHeroes)." This aims to spread the importance of mental health and foster a culture of positive empathy. The campaign runs from September 6 to October 31 on TikTok and Instagram platforms.

On August 9, to promote national mental health through an online platform, Donggeun Ryu, Executive Director of Public Policy at TikTok Korea (from left), Youngsook Kwak, Director of the National Center for Mental Health, and Yeonwoo Choi, CEO of Mental Health Korea, signed a business agreement.
[Photo by Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Center for Mental Health]

Offline events during the 2023 Mental Health Promotion Week include the ▲Mind Investment Art Exhibition (September 25 to October 27), ▲Mind Investment Healing Talk Concert (October 17), and ▲Mental Health Day Commemorative Symposium (October 19 to 20). Online events include the ▲Mind Health Dance Challenge (#IAmMe Dance) event (September 6 to October 31), ▲Now Spread the Mind Investment Website event (September 18 to October 31), and a series of messages from mental health scholars to the public. Detailed schedules and participation methods can be found on the dedicated Mental Health Day website. Kwak Youngsook, director of the National Center for Mental Health, stated, "To foster a healthy mental health culture, we will listen to voices from all walks of life and enhance accessibility to mental health services in line with the trends of the younger generation."

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