SEMSA and Hope Foundation Join Forces to Support Small Business Owners' Mental Health

Early Identification of High-Risk Groups and Awareness Campaigns

On August 18, the Small Enterprise and Market Service announced that it will cooperate with the Korea Life Respect and Hope Foundation to establish a safety net for early identification and support of small business owners facing mental health crises.

A small business owner is visiting the Small Enterprise and Market Service regional center to receive a mental health consultation. SEMSA

This initiative aims to strengthen support for male small business owners in their 50s, who are categorized as being at high suicide risk, amid growing psychological and emotional burdens due to economic downturn and declining sales. According to SEMSA, 53.0% of suicide motivations among men in their 50s are attributed to 'economic difficulties.'

As a first step, SEMSA has increased the number of one-on-one matches between Small Business Support Centers and Suicide Prevention Centers by 71.4%, from 35 to 61. The two organizations will jointly engage in community-based activities such as identifying, intervening in, and connecting with high-risk groups; conducting suicide prevention awareness campaigns; providing suicide prevention education; offering tailored support services; and blocking access to means of suicide.

SEMSA regional centers have installed the PHQ-9 depression screening tool, allowing small business owners to independently assess their mental health status. If an individual is identified as being in a high-risk group based on the results, they can be connected to professional counseling and management through a dedicated helpline and local suicide prevention centers.

Psychological recovery and restart support for small business owners who are either considering closing their businesses or have already done so will also be strengthened. SEMSA, together with the Korea Forest Welfare Institute and the Hope Foundation, will operate specialized psychological recovery programs that include five-senses walking, hammock meditation, balance therapy, singing bowl meditation, and tea ceremony meditation.

In Tae-yeon, Chairman of SEMSA, said, "It is important to provide support that looks after the well-being of struggling small business owners so they do not become isolated," and added, "We will strengthen cooperation with expert organizations such as the Korea Life Respect and Hope Foundation to build a comprehensive safety net that allows us to detect small business owners in crisis early and link them to the support they need."

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