Abroad, the Entire Campus Serves as a Safety Net... Korean Universities Lag Behind in Mental Health [Mind Health Blind Spot, University ④]

Countries around the world view the mental health issues of university members as a responsibility to be shared by both the state and universities. They have established laws and government support systems accordingly. Notably, these policies became more systematic around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic between 2019 and 2020.

Universities do not rely solely on counseling centers to address mental health concerns. Instead, they take a campus-wide management approach that connects prevention, detection of crisis signals, early intervention, professional counseling and medical linkage, and post-intervention support into one continuous process. The scope of support includes not only students but also professors and all university staff. This is in stark contrast to Korea, where even campus counseling centers lack a legal basis.

In the United States, the state of Illinois has institutionalized early intervention in university mental health. The "Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act (MHEAC)" was enacted to mandate mental health support policies for students at all public higher education institutions as of July 2020. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), all freshmen are required to receive suicide prevention education, and to date, over 7,400 undergraduate students have completed the program. The U.S. has been investigating student mental health through a non-profit research network since 2007 and, since 2023, has expanded these surveys to include university staff as well. Various Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are also offered to professors and staff. The result is a system that enables early identification of mental health risk groups, followed by timely treatment and counseling.

Canada established a national common standard for university student mental health in October 2020. This is the "National Standard for Mental Health and Well-being for Postsecondary Students," developed collaboratively by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and CSA Group. While the standard is a voluntary guideline rather than a legal requirement, it is significant that the country has provided a common framework to help all higher education institutions systematically support student mental health. The focus is on prevention and promotion of well-being rather than simply treatment, and on building a healthy campus culture that reduces stigma about mental illness by enhancing students’ sense of connection and belonging. McMaster University operates a "Student Wellness Centre" that provides individual and group counseling, workshops, and medical services. A key feature of the system is assigning roles to staff and faculty in contact with students to identify students at risk and help them access professional support. Rather than waiting for students to visit the counseling center, the emphasis is on early detection of crisis signs and intervening proactively. Faculty and staff are offered 24/7 counseling via an externally run Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), while the confidentiality of consultations is strictly maintained and information is not shared with the university.

Australia and Ireland both established national university mental health policy guidelines in 2020. In Australia, with support from the Department of Education, the youth mental health specialist organization Orygen developed the "Australian University Mental Health Framework." In Ireland, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) created the "National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework" for university students. All of these initiatives emphasize not only counseling services but also prevention, early intervention, and integrated support systems that involve the entire university, including linkage to professional organizations.

The United Kingdom enacted the "University Mental Health Charter" in 2019, featuring a "Whole-University Approach." The University of Manchester achieved accreditation under this charter in 2024. The UK does not limit its efforts to counseling and medical services; it also considers the impact of education, learning, research, work environments for faculty and staff, and student housing on mental health, addressing both students and staff and making mental health an issue across all aspects of university operations.

The common thread in all these policies is that intervention begins before crises occur, transforming the entire campus into a safety net. Experts say that Korea urgently needs to establish such a safety net as well.

Kim Hyunggi, President of the National Association of University Student Affairs Deans, pointed out, "Currently, mental health support in Korean universities is centered on students and remains mostly limited to individual, post-crisis counseling. The infrastructure, too, is extremely weak." He continued, "Like the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, we need to expand the scope of such policies from 'students' to 'all university members, including students, staff, and professors.'" He also stressed, "We must establish an integrated campus mental health control tower while enacting national university mental health guidelines, and legislate corresponding support for budget and personnel."

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