Mental health diagnoses among Korean youth surged dramatically, with children and teens receiving treatment increasing by 76.6 percent over four years to surpass 350,000 in 2024. A report from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service documents the trend reflecting both a broader global rise in youth mental health concerns and reduced reluctance toward seeking clinical mental health care in Korea.
A total of 350,337 patients aged under 18 visited psychiatric clinics in 2024, up from 198,384 in 2020 and passing 300,000 for the first time in 2023. Among children aged 12 and under, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was the most commonly diagnosed condition with 98,318 cases, followed by developmental delay with 22,939 diagnoses. In the 13-18 age group, depression emerged as the most common mental illness with 60,895 cases, followed by ADHD with 54,311.
Similar increases are witnessed worldwide. In the United Kingdom, the National Centre for Social Research found probable mental illness among children aged 7-16 rose from 12.1 percent in 2017 to 18 percent in 2022. Sweden’s Public Health Agency reported sharp rises in self-reported worry or anxiety, with rates among women aged 16-29 increasing from 9 percent in 2011 to 23 percent in 2024, and among men from 5 percent to 10 percent over the same period.
Many experts attribute increases to social media exposure. Children and adolescents encounter harmful content, constant comparison with peers, and cyberbullying. Some countries are restricting access: Australia’s government implemented a major social media ban for children under 16 earlier in 2024. In Korea, Media Communications Commission chair Kim Jong-cheol said enhanced restrictions on children’s social media use would be prioritized. Data shows Korean adolescents spend an average of 98 minutes per day watching YouTube videos and 49 minutes viewing Instagram.
Local physicians attribute rising numbers partly to increased public awareness of children’s mental health and lower treatment barriers due to media programs addressing the issue. “Korean society shows less prejudice and fear toward seeing a psychiatrist than in the past, which has lowered the threshold for seeking treatment,” said Hong Soon-beom, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Seoul National University College of Medicine.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10644691