Mental health. We are all aware of the term, but it is no doubt a topic that is often avoided. Whether it be in casual settings between family, or at formal gatherings, we feel uncomfortable discussing such “embarrassing” and personal matters. Why is something that is legitimately impacting many of us in society, from teenagers to the elderly, so stigmatized?
Views towards mental health issues in South Korea
The general logic that flows through one’s head when one is suffering from an illness would be to go to the doctor and seek help. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case in South Korea, at least for mental illnesses. It comes across as extremely ironic that in a country where access to medical treatment is so widely available, that on average, only 7% percent of those affected by mental illness seek psychiatric help. You may wonder if these low rates are the result of the high costs of getting professional guidance. In reality, though, the universal health coverage as provided by the state shows that the majority of South Koreans can afford medicine and treatment for mental illness.
This depressing reality of patients rejecting treatment can be attributed to a variety of factors, such as the traditional culture of South Korea. In Korean society, battling with mental illness and seeking help can be seen as losing face for the individual as well as for their family due to the entrenched Confucionist values of the country. This creates a prejudice around mental health, which isn’t regarded as serious enough for professional care, and, in turn, causes the patients to be looked down upon by the community for “bringing shame”. However, an alternative reason could be that there is inherently low awareness of mental health resources among citizens. In fact, a 2021 survey administered that targeted young South Koreans showed that only 17.4% of them knew of available help.
Solutions
Just as you would encourage someone with cancer, the flu, or diabetes to seek a doctor, treatment, and help, it is also our duty as members of society to lead our neighbors in conflict with their mental health towards a well-lit path. The first step to this is to increase awareness to the people, especially the youth. When suicide has been the number one cause of death in adolescents in South Korea for the past several years, it becomes evident that there is a need to let young people know that they aren’t alone and that they will not be shunned for seeking help.
CITATIONS
Australia: Refugee Review Tribunal, South Korea: 1. What treatments are available for diagnosed mental illness through the South Korean health system (counselling, medication, institutionalisation)? 2. Are there any barriers to access (e.g. financial cost, limited places for numbers affected)? 3. How are mental illnesses viewed within South Korean culture? 4. Is there any evidence of significant harm being directed at those with mental illness or their families arising from the illness?, 29 April 2009, KOR34722 , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4b6fe2770.html
World Health Organization (2005). Mental Health Atlas 2005. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization Press. pp. 384–385
McDonald, Mark. “Stressed and Depressed, Koreans Avoid Therapy.” The New York Times, 6 July 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/world/asia/07iht-psych07.html.
Choi, Jeewook. “Promoting Mental Health Literacy at Schools in South Korea.” NCBI, 1 January 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9816008/. Accessed 24 September 2024.
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