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| 'Stess-Free Zone' built in Chang-shin Elementary School in Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Bahk Eun-ji
The growing prevalence of psychiatric problems in children is becoming a public health issue that cannot be ignored. Stress has become part of student life due to various high expectations placed on them including the pressure to be admitted to one of a 'few prestigious universities.
According to data collected by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in 2016, more than 170,000 students in middle and high schools sought counseling programs run by the ministry and local youth centers, especially about difficulty with not only personal relations but also with high academic pressure. Of these, 19,872 students received counselling regarding suicide attempts and serious depression, up from 2013's figure of 15,757 students.
More and more, young people struggle with dealing with mental stress, but few know how to deal with it.
As a part of efforts to help overburdened children, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) opened "Stress-Free Zone"s in six schools in Seoul this month, in cooperation with ChildFund Korea, KB Kookmin Bank and Kyowon Group.
The first Stress-Free Zone was test-operated in Sinhyeon Middle School in Jungnang-gu, northern Seoul, in 2016. This year, six more schools ― Chang-shin Elementary School, Seongnae Middle School, Kyungbok Business High School, Kyungil High School, Youngsang High School and Mirim Girls' High School ―additionally opened the spaces, the city government said.
"Many middle and high school students confront stressful situations from academic pressure on them, but most of them don't have any idea of how to handle it," said Park Sook-hee, a director of the Urban Design Policy department of the SMG.
According to a survey conducted by Korea Health Promotion Institute in 2014, more than 65 percent of teenagers answered they just "endure" the stressful situation, while 13 percent said they use "curse words," and about 6 percent said they "yell" or "throw objects" to relieve their stress.
"As the data showed, many young people don't even know how to deal with the stressful situations they face, so they need an adequate guide that leads them to a healthy social life when they grow up," Park said.
According to the city government, the Stress-Free Zones were set up within the schools for greater accessibility and to fit students' day-to-day routines. The cozy cafe-like ambience with comfortable color decorations and curvy interior designs, in a space 2.5-times larger than the average classroom, will help students learn stress reduction skills, it said.
In the zone, students can check their stress level periodically, and based on the results, they will be provided various programs such as aroma, music and color therapies and even yoga classes.
The zones seems to be immediately effective. The Korea Academy of Clinical Art Therapy conducted brain wave measurement on 20 Seoul Youngsang High School students who test used the zone, and their mental stress level declined by 27.5 percent and depression level, by 27.3 percent.
"More than 70 percent of students who used this place have experienced emotional stability and acquired resistance to stress," said Kim Sun-hyun, a professor at Cha University who conducted the test.
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| Students play card games at 'Stress-Free Zone' in Kyungbok Business High School in Seoul. /Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Students also welcome the place. "For me, school used to be an unfriendly space and I often even felt suffocated. But now it becomes comfortable and sometimes makes me relax just like home," said Yoon, a sophomore at Youngsang school, who wished to be identified by only his surname.
Jung, another sophomore at the school said she would rate the zone nine out of ten because she would have been more satisfied if it had opened earlier.
ChildFund Korea pledged to set up the zone at more schools across the country.
For physical health improvement
Young people's mental and physical health is also a key issue for the Ministry of Education (MOE).
The ministry pledged to provide various support programs for student healthcare together with 12 related government organizations, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Every single child's health is utterly important, especially with the country facing a low fertility rate these days," the MOE said in a statement. "All of the 12 organizations came to have a common realization that development of healthy society depends on maintaining solid family relations, and on their physical and mental health."
For example, obese children will be assessed as to whether they suffer from metabolic syndrome based on results of a physical exam and blood test. For the children diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, the MOE will provide diabetic supplies such as blood glucose meters, diabetes test strips and insulin pumps.
For juvenile mental health support, the MOE has been running 24/7 counseling programs through the internet, mobile messenger application and text message (#1388).
