Koreans hit by 'corona blues' amid outbreak
Pedestrians wearing masks walk along a road nearby Yeouido Station, Seoul, Monday. /Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
Many people are seeking psychological counseling due to anxiety about the COVID-19 outbreak here, according to the state-run trauma center, Thursday, as the country has the most number of infections outside of China.
The National Center for Disaster Trauma (NCDT) said its staff had conducted 540 telephone counseling sessions concerning psychological issues relating to the spread of COVID-19 between Jan. 29, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a “public health emergency of international concern,” and March 1. During the same period, more than 18,000 sessions were conducted by regional mental health welfare centers across the country for those under self-quarantine or isolation.
The trauma center, an affiliated organization of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), is in charge of psychological counseling and treatment for confirmed patients of COVID-19 and their families while regional mental health welfare centers run by local governments are responsible for counseling people under self-isolation.
“Although not everyone who receives the counseling service is a confirmed patient, they appear to have a great deal of anxiety about the transmission of the highly contagious virus in everyday life,” said the NCMH official.
The official said the types of the counseling conducted by the center ranged from answering simple questions about suspicious symptoms such as mild coughing and sneezing, to dealing with cases of anxiety that were impacting daily lives.
“During the counseling, some people complained about difficulties meeting people, and some said they couldn't even leave the house due to the fear of infection,” the NCMH official added.
Chinese nationals residing in Korea have also complained of psychological pressure related to the spread of COVID-19, explaining how they have been targeted as “virus spreaders” by others here.
Experts advised that being overly preoccupied with the current situation may stimulate anxiety, and that concentrating instead on other issues will help mental health.
“The coronavirus epidemic causes social panic, which is the state of a community group reacting negatively to unexpected changes in society. If you keep thinking about the issue, your anxiety and distrust of people will only worsen,” said Kwak Geum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University.