Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the level of mental health literacy and the degree of psychological distress related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among residents of the Gangwon Province. Methods: For this study, we recruited 1000 participants from the adult population (aged 19 or older) of the Gangwon Province, all of whom voluntarily consented to this survey. We ensured a proportionate distribution based on the sex and age composition ratio. Results: The level of mental health literacy in the Gangwon Province was found to be similar to the national level. Men exhibited a higher level of negative awareness, while women scored higher on other factors. The seniors had greater knowledge about treatment methods and awareness of recovery, while the youth showed higher awareness about medical consultation and understanding of mental health resources. COVID-19-related stress in the Gangwon Province was higher among women and seniors. Among the emotions felt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘family-oriented’ was the highest, and among negative emotions, sadness and depression were prevalent. The degree of emotions felt in relation to COVID-19 showed that women scored higher on the depression, indifference, and anxiety items, and age-related differences varied by item. Conclusion The results of this study are significant for understanding the characteristics of local residents for mental health promotion projects. Furthermore, they highlight the need for improving mental health literacy to increase the utilization of mental health services. These findings can serve as a basis for future research and would contribute to devising more effective strategies for mental health promotion.

Background and Objectives: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment option for subjective tinnitus. There are many reports on its clinical efficacy, but the protocol has not been well established. The purpose of this study was to set an outpatient-based CBT protocol and evaluate its clinical efficacy for tinnitus.Subjects and Method A total of 85 chronic tinnitus patients was assessed in this prospective study. After evaluating for eligibility, 30 patients completed CBT based on a protocol of 5 weekly sessions in an outpatient setting. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) questionnaires and visual analogue scale (VAS) for tinnitus. The initial scores were compared with the final scores, which were assessed a month after the fifth CBT session. Results: The results showed that CBT reduced THI and VAS scores significantly (p<0.05). Conclusion The results of the study suggest that an outpatient-based CBT protocol can be clinically beneficial for patients with tinnitus.