Incheon’s Ongjin-gun County has reached out directly to residents of island areas, who are prone to falling into the blind spots of mental health services.
 [The Korean Today] Counseling at the outreach psychological support service linked to the Mind Comfort Bus in Baengnyeong-myeon © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The Ongjin-gun County Health Center (Director Park Hye-ryun) and the Ongjin-gun County Mental Health Welfare Center (Center Head Kim Sol-ji) announced that, over the two days from the 9th to the 10th, they ran an outreach psychological support service for residents of Baengnyeong-myeon in partnership with the Incheon Metropolitan Mental Health Welfare Center’s ‘Mind Comfort Bus.’
The service offered a range of mental health programs, including mental health screening tests, stress brainwave measurement, one-on-one counseling, and an awareness-raising campaign. The aim was to allow island village residents, who are cut off by the sea and normally have little access to professional mental health services, to easily check the state of their own minds right where they live.
In particular, residents identified as high-risk through the screening tests were provided with tailored mental health services, including referral for treatment and in-depth counseling. A distinctive feature of this service was its focus on connecting residents in need to actual treatment and ongoing care, rather than stopping at a one-off test.
 [The Korean Today] View of Incheon’s Mind Comfort Bus visiting Baengnyeong-myeon © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
Kim Sol-ji, head of the Ongjin-gun County Mental Health Welfare Center, said, “The operation of the Mind Comfort Bus improved island residents’ access to mental health services and created an opportunity for more residents to use mental health services,” adding, “We will strive to be a mental health welfare center that provides practical support to Ongjin-gun residents who have concerns that are hard to talk about — such as depression, stress, or alcohol problems — or who need professional help.”
Park Hye-ryun, director of the Ongjin-gun County Health Center, said, “I hope the operation of the Mind Comfort Bus served as an opportunity to raise residents’ interest in mental health and improve access to mental health services,” adding, “We will continue to pursue various mental health support projects to promote residents’ mental well-being and create a mental health-friendly environment.”
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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