Suga, a member of the group BTS, is making a positive impact by establishing a treatment center for patients with autism spectrum disorder.
According to his agency Big Hit Music on the 23rd, Suga is partnering with Severance Hospital to establish a specialized treatment center that supports the treatment and social independence of patients with autism spectrum disorder.
On this day, Severance Hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony for the "Min Yoongi Treatment Center" on the first floor of the Jejung Building, aimed at treating children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The center will support the mental health of children and adolescents through various programs linked to clinical and research activities, including language, psychological, and behavioral therapy.
Suga has consistently shown interest in mental health, psychological and behavioral issues, particularly adolescent depression, while engaging in charitable activities during his time with BTS. He has been seeking ways to help through his musical talents and abilities.
In November of last year, Suga began communicating with Professor Cheon Geun-ah, an authority in child psychiatry at Severance Hospital. Through several meetings, he learned that patients with autism spectrum disorder require tailored treatment that aligns with their life cycle, which is difficult to achieve with existing short-term therapeutic interventions.
Suga reportedly agreed that to bring about positive changes in the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, it is necessary to establish a specialized treatment center that can provide long-term support for over ten years. Consequently, he decided to donate 5 billion won to Severance Hospital, marking the highest donation ever made by an artist to the entire Yonsei Medical Center, including Severance Children's Hospital.
Since then, Professor Cheon and Suga have discussed the construction of the treatment center and social skills training for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder using music from late last year to early this year. Based on this, they developed the "MIND" program, a social skills group program that incorporates musical content into existing social skills training programs.
The MIND program is an acronym that implies "enhancing interaction and sensory experiences through music (Music), providing opportunities for forming social relationships and communication (Interaction), learning the process of naturally building relationships through community (Network), and respecting individual diversity while fostering a harmonious society (Diversity)." Children participating in this program will play instruments, sing, write to music, and express their emotions and thoughts through music and writing.
Additionally, from March to June, Suga utilized his weekends to meet with children with autism spectrum disorder and participate in program development. He played instruments like the guitar, encouraging the children to match rhythms and harmonies, and facilitating emotional expression through music. Furthermore, he also taught the children how to play instruments themselves.
In the future, the Min Yoongi Treatment Center plans to enhance the MIND program and establish a self-sustaining music project model. To ensure the program's continuous operation, they will also systematize the training process for experts in each treatment field, strengthening the program's sustainability and professionalism.
Once the construction of the Min Yoongi Treatment Center is completed in September, regular program sessions will be expanded and newly established. Various treatment sessions, including social skills training using music for patients with autism spectrum disorder and individuals with developmental disabilities, will be conducted. Existing programs such as ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) and speech therapy will also be expanded. Additionally, to objectively prove the effectiveness of the MIND program, clinical research, academic paper presentations, and the publication of program manuals will be pursued.
Suga stated, "Through the program preparation and volunteer activities with Professor Cheon over the past seven months, I deeply felt that music can be a precious channel for expressing feelings and communicating with the world. Being able to participate in the treatment process for children with autism spectrum disorder itself was a great blessing and happiness, and I will continue to support so that more children can be part of our society."
Suga, who completed his military service as a social service worker, was discharged on the 21st. With this, all members of BTS have completed their military service, and a full group comeback is anticipated. It is expected to happen as early as this fall or at the latest in the first half of next year.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
