"From Treatment to Recovery"... 'Post-Management Hospitals for Suicide Attempt Patients' Expanded to 100 Nationwide

Ministry of Health and Welfare Designates 5 More "Life Love Crisis Response Centers"


Over 14,400 Cases Managed Last Year... Suicidal Ideation Rate Drops to Less Than Half

The number of hospitals that provide aftercare services—connecting suicide attempt patients who visit emergency rooms to community-based care following treatment and counseling—will be expanded to 100 nationwide.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Suicide Prevention Center announced on July 13, 2026, that the number of hospitals participating in the 'Emergency Room-Based Aftercare Program for Suicide Attempters' has increased from 95 to 100.

The 'Emergency Room-Based Aftercare Program for Suicide Attempters' is a project that provides not only emergency treatment, but also psychological counseling, case management, and linkage to community mental health services for individuals who visit the emergency room after a suicide attempt. The program began in 2013 with 25 hospitals and expanded to 93 hospitals last year. Two more hospitals were added at the beginning of this year, and now, with an additional five, the nationwide network has reached 100 hospitals.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare emphasized that continuous management after emergency room treatment is particularly crucial, as suicide attempters face a risk of suicide more than 25 times higher than the general population. Since many suicide attempters do not receive counseling or treatment after discharge and are at risk of repeat attempts, prompt aftercare following emergency treatment is essential.

Hospitals participating in the program have established 'Life-Love Crisis Response Centers,' which are staffed by teams consisting of emergency medicine doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, clinical psychologists, and social workers to provide support to patients. When a suicide attempter visits the emergency room, they undergo emergency treatment, initial counseling, and a suicide risk assessment, and are offered up to four short-term counseling sessions. They are then connected to community services such as suicide prevention centers and mental health welfare centers.

In particular, treatment costs for injuries resulting from the suicide attempt and psychiatric care are covered up to 1 million won per person per year, helping to ensure that no one delays or abandons treatment due to financial burden.

Last year, there were 22,868 suicide attempters who visited the emergency rooms of participating hospitals, and 14,414 of them agreed to case management and received these services. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2024 report on the outcomes of the Emergency Room-Based Aftercare Program for Suicide Attempters, the proportion of participants who harbored suicidal thoughts dropped from 28.8% to 13.8% after receiving case management four times. The percentage of patients assessed as 'high' suicide risk also fell from 17.0% to 5.3%—a reduction to approximately one-third.

Lee Sunyoung, Director of Mental Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "What people who come to the emergency room at their most difficult moment need is not only medical treatment but also a robust support system to help them get back on their feet," adding, "We will strive to make even more emergency rooms into reliable safety nets, so that each and every person who attempts suicide can regain the strength to go on living."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.