본문영역

UNIST Healthcare Center,
base camp for
a healthy body and mind

Since its foundation, UNIST has been taking care of the physical and mental health of students and faculty by establishing the Healthcare Center and operating a health service and counseling rooms. In 2016, UNIST opened its affiliated clinic consisting of neuropsychiatry and family medicine where specialists and counselors can work together.
One-stop healthcare service system

The biggest strength of UNIST Healthcare Center is that it offers one-stop healthcare services in which application, counseling, and treatment services are integrated. Within a few days after applying for a service, a clinical psychologist will interview an applicant and provide necessary services such as counseling, treatment, digital healthcare, and other services according to the person’s requirement.
In particular, the mental health area carries out the four major projects – crisis management, psychological support, mental health prevention, and promotion and awareness improvement. Crisis management includes psychological counseling, psychiatric treatment, interviews with students returning from a leave of absence due to illness, and case management of high-risk groups for suicide and depression. Psychological support operates programs such as support for on-campus accidents and incidents, interview with outsiders, special lectures on mental health. Mental health prevention carries out mental health examinations for freshman and enrolled students, digital healthcare services, group interviews, animal-assisted therapy, and production and distribution of mental health online video materials.

Above all, its top priority is “prevention,” because like physical health, the best way to prevent mental health illnesses is also through preventive management. The center operates various programs to help people control stress well and develop communication and problem-solving skills. It also provides mental and physical stability programs such as making a mood light and flower arrangement, as well as light psychotherapy programs such as art therapy, communication and emotion management programs. Notably, animal-assisted therapy, which is designed to interact with a therapy/ comfort dog named “Brie”, is one of the programs with a high satisfaction level among students. “Brie” is available every Tuesday and Wednesday, so the students need to make a reservation in advance, and can experience an emotional connection with her through physical contact and going for a walk together.
During 2021, UNIST Healthcare Center was visited 3,724 times by 449 students and faculty members. It is commonly said that fourth-year undergraduates and first- and second-year graduate school students show the highest clinic usage rate, and most often they complain about career, identity issue, anxiety and lethargy. The demand for counseling is steadily increasing, with the improvement effect or satisfaction after counseling being quite high. As people visit the center mainly through a friend’s advice or recommendation, there is a positive perception of using the center.
The center plans to continue making efforts to raise positive awareness of counseling and lower entry barriers through group participation programs. In addition, by providing high-quality counseling services and realizing an integrated psychological support program, the Healthcare Center will strive to become a strong base camp for UNIST for its excellent prospective scientists to achieve self-realization and increase their life satisfaction.

Healthcare Center Counseling & Treatment Information
  • Mini Interview
    Psychology counselor Lee Ji-hye

“The UNIST Healthcare Center was selected as an excellent institution by the Counseling Council for University Student in 2020, and I am about to receive the award as an outperforming counselor this year. I have been working as a UNIST counselor for 8 years, and feel proud that I have been working at the same school for a long time with recognition for my achievements focusing on the development and recovery of students. Of course, I couldn’t make this achievement alone. I think that it is the result of the concerted efforts of fellow counselors whom I have worked together with. In general, counselors at the center have a long-standing affection for UNIST, with an average service period of more than 5 years. I think that is because counselors can talk to clients with a high level of understanding of the school or students, so they can better empathize with clients’ story. Nevertheless, all counselors are constantly studying and developing their capacity to provide higher quality counseling services. Even a simple worry or stress can grow into an illness if you leave it unattended for too long. Please put aside your negative preconceptions about mental health for a while, and come to the center with an open mind and easy heart to take a simple psychological assessment or cognitive test. UNIST Healthcare Center’s door is always wide open!”

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