The Seoul Suicide Prevention Center may not be the pioneer of 24-hour suicide prevention hotlines in Korea, but it is the the first to employ experienced, professional counselors including mental health nurses and social workers (Jae-Un Limb, May 2009, “A Phone Call Away from Suicide“, JoongAng Daily). It’s also unique in that counselors do follow-up work with the callers—with their permission, of course—for up to 6 months before referring them to a local mental health centre.
The Seoul Suicide Prevention Center is an agency funded by the City of Seoul. It brings about change in the way a limited number of marginalized individuals perceive the value of life. Although it is not a grassroots movement, we can see from the diagram below that the center and its hotline provide tools that individuals can use to lead more positive and empowered lives.
Chetkovich, C. A., & Kunreuther, F. (2006). From the ground up: Grassroots organizations making social change. Ithaca: ILR Press/Cornell University Press.
It may not be fair to grade the suicide prevention hotline in its ability to tackle the deep-seated pressure in Korean society to meet or exceed high expectations, as the purpose of the solution is to treat mental health symptoms that arise partly from the pressure. The organization is actually expanding to cope with the growing number of calls to the hotline (March marked the highest number in 2009 with 1,440 calls, compared to 1,000 in the same month last year).
However, critics of current mental health programs in Korea stress that more work needs to be done in raising awareness of suicide as a social problem among the Korean population at large, not just those already afflicted with mental health issues and motives to end their own lives (The Chosun Ilbo, June 2009, “Korea Must Do More to Stem Suicide Epidemic“). I would personally suggest forming a concrete link between the pressure in Korea to perform and the suicide epidemic, especially for ages 10 – 40. For instance, the campaign to raise awareness could take the form of a road tour of informative and interactive sessions.
June 15, 2009 at 8:29 pm
It may also help to have a sharing system in which people who attempted to end their lives before can share their experiences. They know how their families and friends had suffered from their behavior. They have a new perception about the value of life and how to live a healthier and happier life. The fact that the people involved in the system have similar problems or backgrounds can make the system a success.
June 15, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Hi Arita, thanks for your comment!
I’m not sure on whether the counselors working on the hotline share their own experiences or whether that’s even advised by the suicide prevention center. However, I really like your idea of a program where people who had attempted or seriously thought about suicide share their experiences and give each other moral support. It’s kind of like group therapy or support groups for addictions.
Thanks,
Hannah