Approximately 30 residents affected by Geoje and Tongyeong floods classified as high risk… Continuous monitoring and specialized treatment guidance

The high-risk group is counted as about 30 people... Local government, continuous monitoring and guidance on specialized treatment

(Geoje · Tongyeong = Yonhap News) Reporter Jeong Jong-ho = "When the weather is cloudy, my heart sinks and I feel anxious."

It was found that quite a few residents in Geoje and Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, which suffered heavy damage due to extreme rain during the Liberation Day holiday, were complaining of such trauma and anxiety.

According to Geoje City and Tongyeong City on the 12th, as of the morning of the previous day, the number of psychological counseling sessions for residents related to this flood that was conducted by each city and other cities was a total of 739 cases (612 in Geoje and 127 in Tongyeong).

It was found that there were a particularly large number of residents who received psychological counseling, especially in areas that were heavily damaged by heavy rain.

Among all residents receiving psychological counseling, there were approximately 30 Geoje and Tongyeong residents classified as high-risk groups.

However, as it has been about a month since the flood occurred, most of the residents who suffered from emotional difficulties are now found to have significantly improved their psychological state.

However, since many of the residents classified as high-risk are elderly and vulnerable to health, local governments believe that continuous management of them is necessary and are continuing monitoring.

Immediately after the flood, Geoje City distributed psychological support posters to evacuation facilities and health institutions and provided instructions on how to use the hotline and post-traumatic stress tests using QR codes, allowing residents who need additional psychological counseling to receive professional treatment.

By establishing a cooperative system with the Gyeongnam Metropolitan Mental Health Welfare Center, professional counselors will be deployed to the site, and Tongyeong City, which has provided psychological counseling while touring flood-hit areas, will also connect with clinical advisors and counseling when necessary.

Officials from these local governments said, "Residents may experience psychological difficulties such as anxiety and stress after a disaster," and added, "We will do our best to help citizens return to a stable daily life by quickly providing necessary services such as counseling and treatment links."