Mental health self-assessment system covering issues 

such as 'Corona Blue' developed

The KU Mind Health Institute Introduced the Korean Depression Anxiety Assessment Tool

An agreement concluded with the Korean Psychological Association and the National Center for Mental Health providing the tool free of charge.

In the wake of the recent Corona 19 virus and its aftermath, which has raised concerns about a mental health issue called “Corona Blue,” the KU Mind Health Institute of Korea University has developed a self-assessment system that allows people to check their mental health problems through the Korean assessment of depression, anxiety, suicide risk and vitality.

The director of the KU Mind Health Institute, professor Choi Kee-hong of the Department of Psychology and his research team conducted multidisciplinary research with the research team of professor Lee Seung-hwan of the Ilsan Pail Hospital, the research team of professor Choi Youn-young of Hanyang Cyber University, and the research team of Professor Lee Jong-weon of Sejong University. With the support of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the teams have developed the Korean depression, anxiety, and suicide risk screening tool; and through the interdisciplinary convergence research support project of the National Research Foundation of Korea, a National Vitality Index was developed as a mental health self-assessment tool that can comprehensively evaluate mental health.

Previously, foreign tools were used for assessment. These tools not only caused royalty issues but were insufficient for the evaluation of Koreans’ mental health since they did not reflect Korean culture and norms. However, recently the need for a mental health self-assessment tool has increased due to the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, and so the newly developed tool has become significant not only academically but also socially.

▲ Photo of the agreement with the National Center for Mental Health. 

Park Su-bin, the Mental Health R&D Project Manager of the National Center for Mental Health (left), 

and Choi Kee-hong, the director of the KU Mind Health Institute (right) 

are taking a photo commemorating the signing of the agreement.

The KU Mind Health Institute of Korea University signed a business agreement with the Korean Psychological Association and the Mental Health R&D Project Team of the National Center for Mental Health, and provides the self-assessment service (the depression anxiety evaluation tool) free of charge from May 18. If anyone is suffering from mental health issues, he or she can visit the websites of the Korean Psychological Association (www.koreanpsychology.or.kr), the Mental Health R&D Project Team of the National Center for Mental Health (http://www.mhrnd.re.kr), or the KU Mind Health Institute of Korea University (www.kumind.or.kr) for a simple checkup and receive instant results.

If a mental health problem is found through this self-assessment, it is important to visit a mental health professional (such as a psychologist or psychiatrist) to access professional services. The Korean Psychological Association has recently been providing free untact psychological counseling services in response to psychological quarantine of COVID-19.

▲ Photo of the agreement with the Korean Psychological Association. 

From the left, Chang Eun-jin, the president of the Korean Psychological Association for the next term, 

Cho Hyun-seob, the president of the Korean Psychological Association, and Choi Kee-hong, 

the director of the KU Mind Health Institute are taking a photo commemorating the signing of the agreement.

“I recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity to receive professional services if you have mental health difficulties,” said Choi Kee-hong, the director of the KU Mind Health Institute of Korea University.

Following this development, the KU Mind Health Institute of Korea University plans to expand and further develop the tool to match the different patterns of men and women of all ages, as well as to provide customized mental health self-assessment services to countries other than Korea.