Mental Welfare Research Articles

Taking what you get or Getting what you Need: A Qualitative Study on Experiences with Mental Health and Welfare Services in Long-Term Recovery in First-Episode Psychosis.

How people in long-term recovery (clinical and personal) in first-episode psychosis (schizophrenia and bipolar spectrum disorders) experience the mental health and welfare services they interact with is not frequently studied but has significant implications. We therefore aimed to explore which aspects of these services people with FEP evaluate as important for their long-term recovery. Twenty participants in clinical and/or personal recovery from two Norwegian long-term follow-up studies after FEP (TOP 10-year and TIPS 20-year) were sampled for this interview-based qualitative study. The research-team included service user experience. A deductive analysis based on personal accounts of recovery generated five service aspects. Few specific types of interventions were reported to promote recovery although medications, psychotherapy and employment support were mentioned. Participants valued services based in collaboration and that focused on their resources rather than limitations. The importance of long-term follow-up with a consistent aim was highlighted, as was the inclusion of caregivers and peers. Welfare services contributed to recovery by supporting basic needs and safety, but some experienced social exclusion when not participating in the labor market. This study is unique in exploring the role of services, including welfare, in long-term FEP recovery from service user perspectives. Participants evaluated that services played a more indirect role in long-term recovery by supporting their personal resources, although what they needed from services had frequently not been offered. Their expertise by experience contributes valuable knowledge. Better service coordination and consistent implementation of this knowledge are crucial to support recovery in FEP.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Suicidal Ideation and Depression in Community-Dwelling Elderly.

This study examined the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on depression and suicidal ideation in community-dwelling elderly in Korea. Data were employed from a survey on elderly mental health in Jeollanam-do (southwest province in Korea), conducted by the Jeollanam-do Provincial Mental Health and Welfare Center. A total of 2423 people were recruited from all 22 cities in Jeollanam-do from April to October, 2021. We used self-reported questionnaires including sociodemographic factors, COVID-19-related stress, the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form Korean Version, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Brief Resilience Scale. Logistic regression was performed to examine the factors of depression and suicidal ideation. Of the 2423 subjects, 622 (25.7%) reported depressive symptoms and 518 (21.4%) reported suicidal ideation. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that living alone, poor perceived health status, worry of COVID-19 infection, and restriction of daily activities due to COVID-19 pandemic are significantly associated with depression. Female gender, poor perceived health status, inability to perform household chores, and depressive symptom are risk factors of suicidal ideation. These findings show that old age, negative perception of health, and restriction of daily activities due to COVID-19 are risk factors of depression in community-dwelling elderly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Female gender, poor self-perceived health status, and depression increase the risk of suicidal ideation among the elderly. Social support and life satisfaction are protecting factors of both depression and suicidal ideation. Resilience decreased risk of depression but not in suicidal ideation.

MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS BY ELEVATED DIGITAL SCREEN TIME DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Introduction – The length of time invested in and the various activities carried out utilizing digital devices are referred to as screen time. The COVID-19 pandemic's restrictions on social interactions exacerbated the overuse of digital gadgets for everyday tasks like socializing, education, shopping, working, meeting, and entertainment. Increased screen usage has been thought to have harmful impacts on psychiatric health in studies. Methods – Several journal articles were used as references, with the inclusion criteria of literature that discuss the mental health impacts of elevated digital screen time during the pandemic of COVID-19 and its recommended measures to minimize its adverse mental health outcomes and the promotion of healthy digital habits. Results – During the pandemic of COVID-19, the unprecedented digital life led to higher numbers of anxiety, sadness, confusion, and unpleasant feelings including irritation and violence. it is crucial to know how screen use time evolved during the COVID-19 period of crisis so that the design of health promotion and intervention may be planned and informed. This study aims to discuss the mental health impacts of elevated digital screen time on the pandemic of COVID-19 and strategies to minimize its adverse mental health outcomes, and the promotion of healthy digital habits. Discuss – Boosting collaborative research involving worldwide nations to tackle COVID-19-related public health concerns can improve global evidence and future policies. Increased screen usage has been displayed to have harmful impacts on psychiatric health in studies. Excessive digital use has been linked to attention deficit disorders, social and emotional cognitive impairment, social withdrawal, phantom vibration syndrome, and major psychiatric diseases such as depression, anxiety, and gaming addiction. Conclusion – It is critical to promote good digital practices and good applications of digital media to avoid the negative effects of increased screen time. To prevent hazardous screen usage and other behaviors that may influence the mental health and welfare of COVID-19-affected people, it is critical to harness the evidence available and adopt multimodal strategies. Keywords: mental health, screen time, COVID-19.

THE 3S OF LIFESTYLE CHOICES: HOW SCREENS, SLEEP, AND SWEAT INFLUENCE MENTAL HEALTH OF THE FORMAL WORKFORCE IN MALAYSIA’S CAPITAL CITY

The purpose of this research is to analyse the impact of three lifestyle factors, which are screen time, sleep quality, and physical activity, on the mental health of formal employees in Malaysia. The data for this study comes from 336 employees in Kuala Lumpur. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The response rate was 87.5%. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between these factors and mental health. In particular, sleep quality is the most important factor in relation to an employee’s mental health, followed by physical activities and screen time. The study reveals the importance to mental well-being of having balanced screen time, getting enough sleep and taking regular physical exercise. Additionally, this research adds to a collection of useful materials that benefit public administration authorities, entrepreneurs, scholars and businesses in designing strategies and policies to enhance the mental welfare of employees amidst the changing work environment in Kuala Lumpur. In addition, the study finds that workplace wellness programs must incorporate these elements into their design if they are going to address mental health problems. The results provide a strong basis for interventions that promote healthier lifestyles which will, in turn benefit formal employee’s mental health and work-life balance.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0121/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Probiotaceuticals: Back to the future?

Probiotic research has undergone some exciting and unanticipated changes in direction since the 2010 commentary by GSH, which speculated on probiotics being ultimately utilized as “factories” capable of releasing pharmaceutical-grade metabolites with therapeutic potential for a wide range of primarily gastrointestinal disorders. Indeed, the unrelenting search for new alternatives to antibiotics has further stimulated the development of “next-generation” probiotics. Postbiotics, defined as inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confer a health benefit on the host, remain at the forefront of current probiotic research, with increasing numbers of probiotic species, strains, and substrains now being identified and further exploited as pharmabiotics; probiotics with a proven pharmacologic role in health and disease that have been subjected to clinical trial prior to approval by regulatory bodies. However, perhaps the most unanticipated probiotic development over the past 15 y has been the emergence of psychobiotics with the potential to improve aspects of mental health, such as depression and anxiety, through the release of bioactive metabolites. Moreover, the recent identification of pharmacobiotics, probiotics capable of facilitating the effectiveness of conventional pharmaceutical drugs, is opening new avenues for probiotic applications to combat a range of diseases, including cancers of the digestive system. Although in its infancy, recent reports of oncobiotics with antineoplastic properties are further expanding the potential for certain next-generation probiotics to impact current cancer treatment regimens and possibly even contribute to cancer prevention. Looking to the next 15 y of probiotic development, one could perhaps predict the ultimate development of regulatory-approved xenopostbiotic formulations comprising metabolites with the capacity to improve digestive health, decrease the severity of intestinal disease, and increase the effectiveness of conventional pharmaceuticals, whilst simultaneously improving cognitive functioning and mental welfare. Although speculative, these xenopostbiotic formulations could prove especially effective for the adjunctive treatment of serious chronic diseases such as cancer.

THE IMPACT OF ISLAMIC COUNSELING ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF PRISONERS IN YOGYAKARTA CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

Prisoners’ mental health is an important issue in the correctional context. Various counseling methods have been used to improve the mental welfare of prisoners, one of which is Islamic counseling which is based on Islamic teachings. This research aims to examine the impact of Islamic counseling on the mental health of prisoners in the Yogyakarta Correctional Institution. This research uses a quantitative method with a quasi-experimental design. The research sample consisted of 60 randomly selected prisoners and was divided into two groups from the experimental group who received Islamic counseling and the control group who did not receive the intervention. Data were collected through a validated mental health questionnaire, and analyzed using t-test to determine whether there were differences before and after the intervention in the two groups. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in the mental health of prisoners who received Islamic counseling compared to the control group (p<0.05). Islamic counseling was effective in reducing the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among the inmates. Islamic counseling has a positive impact on the mental health of prisoners in Yogyakarta Correctional Institution. The results of this research provide practical implications for correctional institution managers in developing faith-based counseling programs to improve the mental welfare of prisoners.

Correlation between psychological well-being and the use of video games

The video games had won popularity in the last decades, their impact in the current society is a target for investigation from some years ago. When talking about psychological well-being we refer to how the subject feels within his own reality perceived, some people even associate it with the happiness concept. To measure the psychological well-being variable, we used the Ryff scales of psychological well-being, adding an own survey to get the time the participants use the video games, they answered the survey remotely through Google forms. When we analyzed the results with the program IBM SPSS, we found how video games can be associated in a negative way to some of the mental welfare´s subscales. We consider than the main factor to determine if the videogames become harmful is the time spent on them.

Identifying Protective and Risk Factors for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Young Adults in Korea: Insights From Problem Behaviour Theory.

This study aimed to identify protective and risk factors related to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviour among young adults in their 20s in Korea, providing an integrated perspective based on the Problem Behaviour Theory (PBT). The subjects were 650 young people in their 20s recruited through the promotion of mental health welfare centres in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Jeju-si in Korea. A self-report scale was used to measure NSSI and resilience, social support, self-compassion, childhood adversity, depression, anxiety and anger. The collected data were analysed using the SPSS 27.0 program, and hierarchical logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the protective and risk factors related to NSSI behaviour. As a result of this study, out of 650 participants, 107 (16.46%) were found to have experienced NSSI. The NSSI group was younger and had a higher proportion of females compared with the non-NSSI group. In addition, self-compassion was identified as a protective factor and childhood adversity and depression were identified as risk factors associated with NSSI behaviour. The lower the self-compassion, the higher the childhood adversity and the higher the depression, the higher the likelihood of NSSI behaviour. Based on the results, mental health services should be provided to young people with childhood adversity and high levels of depression, and efforts should be made to respond appropriately to self-injury crises. In addition, it is considered necessary to develop a program to increase the level of self-compassion to protect against the NSSI behaviour of young people in their 20s in Korea.

Survey on barriers to psychiatrists' use of clozapine for young people in Scotland and suggestions for reducing these.

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland published a report into the death of a young person, with recommendations for the Royal College of Psychiatry in Scotland Child and Adolescent Faculty; to explore if there were barriers to the use of Clozapine in young people in Scotland. A mixed-methods study was performed using a cross-sectional survey of clinicians working in child and adolescent psychiatry across Scotland, to determine attitudes towards clozapine use and the perceived barriers and facilitators to clozapine treatment. Results suggest that there may be a lack of clearly defined pathways within and between services, as well as a lack of resources provided for the necessary monitoring of a young person started on clozapine. Multiple respondents felt unskilled in clozapine initiation and had not accessed formal training. The most frequently mentioned themes for improving facilitation of clozapine prescription were that of increased resources and training. National policymakers including the Mental Welfare Commission, NHS Education for Scotland, and NHS Scotland should consider these findings to address the potential underutilisation of clozapine for people aged under 18 in services across Scotland. A review of current service provision should take place, with consideration of whether the facilitators to clozapine prescription which our study has highlighted could be implemented more effectively. This may help reduce identified barriers and increase clozapine prescription to those who would benefit from it, potentially improving outcomes for young people with treatment-resistant psychosis.

The Mediating Effect of Professional Values on the Relationship Between Self-Leadership and Compassion Competence of Community Mental Health Nurses.

Compassion competence is a core nursing skill that is significant in understanding and alleviating the physical and mental distress of individuals. Self-leadership and nursing professional values are also reported as important factors in improving the clinical care practices of nurses and may have a positive effect on improving the compassion competence of nurses. However, there are few studies examining the relationship between these variables in community mental health nurses. This study investigated the mediating effect of professional values on the relationship between self-leadership and compassion competence of community mental health nurses. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 121 community mental health nurses from 30 mental health welfare centers in South Korea. Participants completed self-report scales on self-leadership, nursing professional values, and compassion competence. Baron and Kenny's regression method and the Sobel test revealed significant mediating effects of nursing professional values on the relationship between self-leadership and compassion competence. Participants' mean compassion competence scores were 3.57 (SD = 0.45) on a 5-point scale. Compassion competence positively correlated with self-leadership (r = 0.67, P < .001) and nursing professional values (r = 0.60, P < .001). Nursing professional values played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-leadership and compassion competence (Z = 3.23, P = .001). Compassion competence of community mental health nurses can be improved by promoting self-leadership and nursing professional values.

Navigating Vicarious Trauma: The Importance of Planning, Teaching, and Delivering Vicarious Trauma Training to Support Law Students and the Legal Profession

The significant effects of Vicarious Trauma (VT) are now being recognised in various professions, including law where the requirement for trauma informed practice’”[1] is now starting to be recognised. VT can be defined as: “a process of change resulting from empathetic engagement with trauma survivors. Anyone who engages empathetically with survivors of traumatic incidents, torture, and material relating to their trauma, is potentially affected” . Trauma- informed practice then focusses on how to work with those who have been impacted by their traumatic experience as a result of exposure to reading, writing, and hearing details of cases that they deal with. This may lead to a one-off feeling of despair or may be the result of the cumulative effect from working constantly with complicated, sensitive, and emotional materials and people. The legal professional may take on the emotions of a client and experience trauma that puts them in the place of the individual that they are trying to assist. Certain areas of the profession may be more prone to such experiences, for example criminal lawyers dealing with such cases as murder, manslaughter, and serious sexual offences. These feelings can be overwhelming, even for the most experienced practitioner. VT too, may also be experienced by students participating in Clinical Legal Education (CLE) undertaken in universities, again impacting on those involved in criminal case work where students have their first exposure to complicated and sensitive cases. This article considers the experience of members of the Criminal Justice Clinic (CJC), within the Open University (OU) and looks at the scope and impact of the VT training that is being delivered and its importance in preserving students’ mental well-being. Added is the factor of this being an online only clinic where isolation can also be an issue. There is a need to provide VT training to support the mental welfare of students, and staff alike. This training is paramount to the success of the CJC and is pivotal to any CLE provision and should be expanded to the law curriculum and onto legal practice. This article argues that the experience in the CJC demonstrates that there is a need for professional legal education to recognise and address the incidence of VT and to provide skills to those who may be affected. Consideration is given to measures that should be adopted in the delivery of CLE to support students participating in pro bono projects. This should carry on beyond university into their future careers. A brief mention will be made of the provisional results of a small-scale research project in this area. Another article is planned to discuss those results fully in the future. [1] Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill as introduced references the introduction and definition of trauma -informed practice. https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/victims-witnesses-and-justice-reform-scotland-bill/introduced/https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/victims-witnesses-and-justice-reform-scotland-bill/introduced/bill-as-introduced.pbill-as-introduced.pdf (accessed 12th January 2024).

Gender and Expertise in the Mixed Economy of Mental Welfare in Greece

The late 1970s and the 1980s were a time of political and social change in Greece, following the collapse of the seven-year military dictatorship, as well as a time of rupture in mental healthcare: new approaches were being developed, including those implemented by the Society of Social Psychiatry and Mental Health, a voluntary, nonprofit scientific association, founded in 1981 (officially in 1986). This article places the initiatives undertaken by the society within the international context of postwar mental healthcare, and within the national postdictatorship framework. It uses the analytical concept of the “mixed economy of welfare”, demonstrating that the society’s work was based on the synergy between the private and the public. Furthermore, the article discusses how concepts of gender were embedded in and shaped by the work of the society in the 1980s, arguing that the society reproduced the traditional gender hierarchies of the mental health field while reworking the hierarchies within its personnel – psychiatrists and other professionals, experts and nonexperts, and, by extension, to some degree at least, men and women mental healthcare providers.

정신건강복지센터 근무자의 직무스트레스와 소진의 관계에서 역량, 직무환경의 매개효과

Objectives This study is a descriptive research to identify the effects of job stress, competency, and job environment on burnout and the mediating effects of competency and job environment in Mental health welfare center workers.&#x0D; Methods In October 2023, data were collected through online survey for 119 Mental health welfare center workers in the G-do area. Using the IBM SPSS 25.0 program, the collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, regression analysis, and Sobel test.&#x0D; Results As a result of the study, job stress, competency and job environment of Mental health welfare center workers had a significant effect on burnout, and the explanatory power was 45.7%(F=32.284, p&lt;.001). Additionally, competency(Z=2.291, p=.021) and job environment(Z=6.553, p&lt;.001) found to have a significant partial mediating effect in the relationship between job stress and burnout.&#x0D; Conclusions In order to reduce the burnout of mental health welfare center workers, it is necessary to come up with a plan to reduce job stress. Measures to reduce job stress must include training programs that can improve capabilities and interventions that can improve the work environment, and these systematic measures can contribute to reducing burnout.&#x0D;

Optimizing the Role of Mosques in Supporting the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to Improve the Mental Health of Generation Z in Mataram City: A Conceptual Research

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are world steps that specifically emphasize efforts to improve people's welfare and health. However, generation Z in the digital era and urbanization faces increasingly complex mental health problems. Various changes and forms of evolution of technological development are not in line and run in harmony with the development of people's lives, in this conceptual research effort to combine various literature that connects the role of mosques in supporting mental health with SDGs goals related to welfare and health. Factors such as academic pressure, social media distractions, and lack of social support are significant mental health problems among generation Z. This research aims to develop the concept of optimizing the role of mosques as a key factor in achieving SDGs related to the mental health of generation Z in the city Mataram. The SDGs specifically emphasize efforts to improve people's welfare and health. This research concept illustrates how mosques can become centers that play an important role in solving SDGs problems and at the same time improving the mental health of generation Z. This includes programs in mosques that support counseling, education on religious values, social skills training, and mental health promotion . In addition, this research highlights the importance of collaboration between mosques, educational institutions, government and community organizations to create a strong ecosystem in improving the mental health of generation Z. By combining resources and knowledge, this concept aims to strengthen efforts towards a healthy and prosperous life. in line with the SDGs. The results of this conceptual research are concepts that provide a theoretical basis for designing integrated generation Z mental health prevention and intervention strategies in the context of the SDGs. This research encourages further attention and concrete steps in optimizing the role of mosques in achieving SDGs goals related to the mental health and welfare of generation Z in Mataram City.

SNS 기반 모바일 정신건강서비스 플랫폼 이용경험에 관한 현상학적 연구

This study is a phenomenological study on the experience of using a mobile mental health service platform developed and provided by mental health social welfare experts, and was conducted to provide practical policy and practical suggestions for the necessity of a mobile mental health service platform and the use of a professional mobile mental health service platform in Korea's mental health service delivery system. To this study, data were collected from 12 research participants who have been continuously using the platform for more than a year, and the data were analyzed by applying Giorgi's phenomenological perspective to deeply analyze the nature and meaning of the experience of the phenomenon. As a result of the analysis, 7 components and 20 sub-components were derived, and the components were found to struggle in the beginning and despair of the problem, mental health services I used and negative memories, various mental health services experienced in accidental spaces, reasons for continuing to find the mobile mental health service platform, psychological stability and practical change and recovery, limitations of personal mobile mental health service platforms, and partnerships with public mental health services. Based on these analysis results, the conclusions of this study and practical suggestions were presented.

Understanding and Breaking the Intergenerational Cycle of Abuse in Families Enrolled in Routine Mental Health and Welfare Services by Investigating the Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Mentalization-Based Early Intervention Program (UBICA-II Study): Study Protocol for a Non-Randomized, Open-Label, Single-Arm Feasibility Study.

Although home visiting programs have generally shown small overall effects on the prevention of child maltreatment, at-risk families with severe strain do not seem to benefit sufficiently from this support. A crucial factor for success seems to be the quality of the service system. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effects of mentalization-based team supervision on the already existing welfare service of a German early prevention program (EPP). This will be a non-randomized, open-label, single-arm feasibility study. The EPP staff will be trained according to the mentalization-based team approach (MB-TA) and regularly receive MFT supervision by a trained and experienced child and adolescent psychiatrist. A minimum of eighty-four families with defined risk factors with children below 24 months of age and pregnant women in the third trimester will be included. Assessments will take place at T0 (after inclusion in the study), at T1 (after family care ends, as an intermediate assessment,) and at T2 (as a follow-up). We hypothesize that the risk of maltreatment can be reduced by strengthening the skills and capacities of the primary care system. This will be evaluated at the end of the follow-up period by comparing the Parental Stress Index (PSI) scores of all participants pre- and postintervention. Stress levels and mentalization abilities will be assessed as feasibility endpoints for the participating EPP teams.

Data resource profile of an online database system for forensic mental health services

This paper introduces a forensic psychiatry database established in Japan and discusses its significance and future issues. The purpose of this Database, created under the Medical Treatment and Supervision Act (MTSA) Database Project, is to improve the quality of forensic psychiatry treatment. It can collect monthly data on “basic information,” “Orders and hospitalizations under the MTSA,” “Treatment process,” “Criminal and medical treatment history,” and “problematic behavior in the unit.” The online system has accumulated data on more than 8,000 items in 24 broad categories. Medical data are exported from the medical care assisting system of 32 designated inpatient facilities in XML format and then saved on USB memory sticks. The files are imported into the Database system client, which sends the data to the Database server via a virtual private network. This system minimizes errors and efficiently imports patient data. However, there is a limitation that it is difficult to set items that need to be analyzed to solve everyday clinical problems into the database system because they tend to change over time. By evaluating the effectiveness of the Database, and collecting appropriate data, it is expected to disseminate a wide range of knowledge that will contribute to the future development of mental health and welfare care.

Impact of natural disasters on mental health and welfare: the case of the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake

This study aims to analyse the impact of the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake on the mental health and welfare of victims in Bantul and to examine whether disasters they experienced before might increase or decrease their mental health when facing indirect exposure to repeated disasters. This study employs several methods: descriptive analysis; logit; a combination of propensity score matching; and difference in differences. The results find that 7 people (1.78%) in 2007 and 31 people (7.89%) in 2014 have experienced symptoms of depression. Age is confirmed as a significant factor in increasing this probability. The results of this study reveal that direct exposure to the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake increased the average mental disorder score and decreased the victims’ education expenditure 1 year after the disaster. The direct exposure to the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake also affected the increase in mental disorder score and decrease in household expenditure of victims 1 year after the disaster, although the effects were insignificant.

기초정신건강복지센터 제공 사업에 대한 중장노년층의 인식

Objective : From September 1st to 30th 2023, an online survey was conducted on middle-aged and older people's nationwide. Total of 161 surveys were used as data and frequency analysis, Pearson chi-square test were performed using SPSS 25.0 program. Methods : From September 1st to 30th 2023, an online survey was conducted on middle-aged and older people's nationwide. Total of 161 surveys were used as data and frequency analysis, Pearson chi-square test were performed using SPSS 25.0 program. Results : As a result of the study, 'Don't know' showed the highest proportion in all projects except disaster health service support work. As a result of analyzing the level of awareness of the projects of the basic mental health welfare center according to general characteristics, the projects of the basic mental health welfare center, which showed a significant differences in the level of awareness depending on gender, age, residential area, marital status, child status, religion, highest academic qualification, type of occupation, family monthly income, family and relative experiences of mental illness, experience using the mental health welfare center. Among them, in the case of experience using the mental health welfare center, there was a exceptional difference in the level of perception in all projects. Conclusion : Active promotion of the projects and education on the use of mental health services should be conducted to raise the level of middle-aged and older people's awareness of the projects provided by the basic mental health welfare center and to provide effective mental health services for the public.

정신장애 범죄인에 대한 형사법적 대응체계의 문제점과 개선방안

From the murder case at a PC room in Gangseo-gu in 2018 to the recent stabbing incidents at Sillim Station and Seohyeon Station, violent incidents by people with mental disorders (including people with mental disabilities related to various addictions such as alcohol or drugs, or people with mental disabilities equivalent to it) continue to occur, leading to high-risk situations such that blind spots in the social safety net still exist due to the lack of a management and supervision system for people with mental disorders in society. In addition, crimes committed by people with mental disorders have increased significantly since 7,304 cases in 2018, increasing to 8,902 cases in 2021, and the recidivism rate has reached 64.3%, meaning that people are immediately released into society without receiving continuous treatment after the end of treatment custody or treatment order (tentative termination). It has been pointed out that there is no judicial treatment and management system for mentally disabled people who have returned to society. Even though violent crimes committed by the mentally disabled are still emerging as a social problem, criminal justice agencies are not reviewing the causes of the crime of the mentally disabled and moving forward with therapeutic treatment but are instead taking measures that focus on repeated surveillance, isolation, and institutionalization. The current treatment and custody law has no provisions for treatment linkage, cooperation, and collaboration between criminal justice agencies and mental (health) medical institutions for therapeutic treatment. Moreover, as criminal justice agencies focus on surveillance, isolation, and institutionalization due to insufficient legislation on treatment linkage, social concerns that mentally disabled people may be stigmatized as potential criminals are increasing, and the need to prevent crimes by mentally disabled people and improve the criminal legal response system is also increasing. Keeping the above situation in mind, this study reviewed the legislative examples of the United States, Germany, and Japan and the limitations of the criminal legal response system for mentally disordered criminals, focusing on the treatment perspective, such as treatment and custody, under the current Medical Treatment and Custody Act. As a result, the following problems were found: First, a lack of connection between the treatment order after the end of treatment and custody; Second, the absence of maintenance and management after the end of the treatment order; Third, the absence of mandatory diagnosis before the execution of the treatment order, and Fourth, a lack of connection and cooperation between the criminal justice system and the mental (health) medical system, and Fifth, the reduction of the target of treatment orders leads to more violent crimes. Therefore, to solve this problem, it is necessary to 'improve' criminal legal response measures, such as harmony and cooperation between the criminal justice system under the Medical Treatment and Custody Act and the mental (health) medical system under the Mental Health and Welfare Act, and more effective treatment of criminals with mental disorders. Accordingly, revision of the Medical Treatment and Custody Act and related criminal law amendments were presented as improvement and legislative measures. However, to more effectively achieve the criminal policy purpose of preventing crimes by mentally disabled people and preventing recidivism within the legislative system between criminal justice and mental (health) medical care proposed in the amendment to the Medical Treatment and Custody Act, it is judged to introduce the followings measures: First, specialization of therapeutic treatment, second, strengthening the ability to respond to mental health problems, third, the right of probation officers to apply for administrative hospitalization, fourth,