The Student Life Counseling Center plays a vital role in advancing the mental health of students and faculty members. Its establishment highlights the institution's commitment to the emotional and psychological well-being of the university community. The center's services are thoughtfully designed to address a broad spectrum of mental health needs, creating an environment where individuals can feel supported through personal challenges and academic pursuits.

Beyond offering crisis counseling for urgent issues such as suicide and substance abuse, as well as various psychological tests, the center provides personalized counseling sessions tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals. These sessions offer a confidential and supportive space for individuals to explore their thoughts and emotions. Recognizing the importance of family to the overall well-being of faculty members, the center also provides counseling and psychological testing for their children, showcasing a comprehensive approach. This ensures that faculty members can perform their best, knowing their families have access to professional mental health support.

The Student Life Counseling Center serves as a beacon of support and guidance, reflecting the university's dedication to fostering a caring and inclusive environment. With its wide range of services, the center plays a pivotal role in ensuring the holistic growth of students and faculty, facilitating smooth adaptation to school life, and preparing them for social advancement. This underscores the institution's understanding that academic success is intrinsically linked to mental and emotional health.

2. Mental Health Enhancement Group Counseling

Chonnam National University has operated the "Mental Health Enhancement Group Counseling" program. It was established to support students who are experiencing difficulties in emotional exchange, face-to-face academic performance, and adapting to college life due to the easing of COVID-19 and the return to daily routines. For this purpose, three main programs were sequentially launched:

- Mind Blossoming: Named by combining the meanings of 'to make a bud bloom' and 'to escape from a state of feeling mentally or emotionally constricted,' this group counseling focuses on the meaning and recovery of students' mental health.

- Happy Blossoming! Empathy Blooms (Peer): A peer counseling program aimed at listening to and assisting with the concerns of fellow students, thereby enhancing their capacity to adapt to college life and prevent crises.

- Vitality Blossoming! Body-Mind-Breath-Rest: A mental care program designed to help students understand the relationship between body and mind, and effectively take care of their own physical and emotional well-being.


3.  Mental Health Guardian Guidebook

Chonnam National University published a Mental Health Guardian Guidebook with the purpose of enhancing the adaptation of students to university life and promoting their mental health. This guidebook serves as a resource for faculty and staff to provide students with relevant support services based on the difficulties identified during interactions such as interviews. These difficulties are categorized by type, and the guidebook aims to offer effective and efficient support solutions tailored to specific problem situations that students may face.

The content of the Mental Health Guardian Guidebook includes:

Mental Health Issues:Types of problems covered include risks of suicide, addiction, and mental health issues like early psychosis (schizophrenia), depression, anxiety, and stress.
The guidebook lists relevant organizations that provide support for these issues, such as Suicide Prevention Hotline, Korea Life Phone, and Gwangju Buk-gu Mental Health Welfare Center, offering services like suicide crisis intervention and self-assessment and intervention services for various mental health conditions.

Addiction Problems:Covers addiction issues including alcoholism, smartphone addiction, gaming addiction, gambling addiction, and drug addiction.
Integrated prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation management for addiction is provided by organizations like Gwangju Buk-gu Addiction Management Integrated Support Center and Gwangju-Jeonnam Gambling Problem Prevention Healing Center.

Isolation and Substance Abuse:The guidebook provides information on counseling and support for issues related to drug and substance misuse, as well as problems stemming from excessive smartphone use.
Organizations such as the Korea Narcotics-Free Association (Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch) and Gwangju Smart Rest Center offer counseling and in-home consultation services.

Social Isolation (Hikikomori):For individuals who remain isolated in confined spaces like their homes and avoid social activities, counseling and step-by-step healing programs are offered.
The Gwangju Metropolitan City Hikikomori Support Center and Gwangju Youth Dream Bank provide these services, including financial support, credit recovery, and financial management counseling for young people facing financial difficulties and debt.

The guidebook is a comprehensive effort by Chonnam National University to connect students with local institutions that can offer the necessary support, thereby facilitating their successful adaptation to university life and enhancing their mental health. This initiative reflects the university's commitment to the well-being of its students, offering a roadmap to support and recovery for those facing various challenges during their academic journey.


4. counseling support program with professional counselors

Chonnam National University's Student Life Counseling Center has implemented a counseling support program with professional counselors. This program is based on selecting and operating guest counselors who possess professional counseling qualifications under the purpose of "Supporting College Students' Mental Health". According to Article 5-2 (Guest Counselors) of the regulations of the Student Life Counseling Center, the program aims to address the various psychological difficulties faced by students, assist in problem-solving, and promote mental health improvement (such as reducing depression and anxiety) to enhance the quality of college life and support holistic growth.

The operation method is as follows:

This counseling support program plays a crucial role in effectively solving the psychological issues that students may encounter during their school life and maintaining and enhancing their mental health. Furthermore, it supports students' adaptation to college life and holistic development, helping them achieve better outcomes in their academic and social lives.

5. collaboration with local mental health-related organizations

Chonnam National University has established a network through collaboration with local mental health-related organizations, aiming to expand the influence and accessibility of each institution by signing agreements with local mental health stakeholders.

Through cooperation with these affiliated organizations, resources, expertise, and experiences are shared among institutions, leveraging each other's strengths to manage the mental health of our university students.

List of Affiliated Institutions:

6. Mental Health Promotion Program

Chonnam National University operates a mental health promotion program for its students.

○ "Mind Blossoming Group Counseling": A counseling program for students struggling with their academic performance and adaptation to university life due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation.

○ "Mental Health Prevention": Programs include prevention of gambling problems, suicide prevention, prevention of smartphone and internet dependency, and alcohol addiction prevention.

○ "Mental Health Status Survey": Conducts surveys on the mental health status of students and the demand for psychological counseling programs.

 
 

7. Healing Camp
 
Chonnam National University operates a 2-day intensive group counseling healing camp to promote mental health for the adaptation to university life and self-growth.

Experts in counseling work with students on self-reflection, understanding oneself and others, and emotional expression training, and the program is designed to heal past traumas and wounds.
 


8. Faculty and Staff Mental Health Enhancement Workshop
 
Chonnam National University organizes annual workshops dedicated to bolstering organizational competitiveness by focusing on stress management and enhancing the psychological well-being of its staff members. These workshops are designed with the intention of providing staff with the tools and knowledge necessary to effectively manage workplace stress, foster a positive work environment, and improve overall mental health. Approximately 500 employees participate in this significant event each year, making it a large-scale effort to ensure that the university's workforce remains resilient, healthy, and well-prepared to meet the challenges of their roles. Through a combination of expert-led sessions, interactive activities, and practical exercises, the workshop aims to equip participants with strategies for coping with stress, building emotional resilience, and promoting mental health awareness within the university community.

 
 
9. Dormitory Student Mental Health Campaign
 

The Dormitory Student Mental Health Campaign was initiated with the goal of fostering a conducive and supportive living environment for dormitory residents, aiding in their adjustment to university life. This campaign is especially designed to address common challenges faced by students living away from home for the first time, aiming to create a community where students can thrive both academically and personally.

Key components of the campaign include comprehensive gambling addiction programs and smoking cessation initiatives, tailored to meet the unique needs of the dormitory residents. These programs are not only focused on tackling these specific issues but also aim to equip students with coping mechanisms for stress, strategies for healthy living, and resources for mental health support.

 

 

10. Joint Campaign for Mental Health

The [Joint Campaign for Mental Health] titled 'My Precious Mind' was an innovative initiative by Chonnam National University, specifically designed to address and support the mental health of its students. This campaign was strategically held in the Raonnuri Student Union building located on the Yeosu Campus, providing a central and accessible venue for student participation.

A distinctive feature of this campaign was the focus on self-diagnosis for a variety of addictive behaviors including, but not limited to, the use of smartphones, alcohol consumption, and gambling. This approach was facilitated by the presence of on-site experts who provided immediate assistance, guidance, and resources to students seeking help.

※ Evidence
News article:https://today.jnu.ac.kr/WebApp/web/HOM/COM/Board/board.aspx?boardID=174&bbsMode=view&page=64&key=2458