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South Korean law prohibits workplace discrimination based on mental health conditions, but discrimination persists due to the lack of enforcement of such legislation. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are well-trained and numerous, but mental healthcare remains isolated from primary care, still a major contributor to South Korea's strong stigma against mental healthcare. Public spending on mental healthcare remains low, at 3%, most of which goes to inpatient mental hospitals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/korea_who_aims_report.pdf?ua=1|title=WHO-AIMS Report on Mental Health in Republic of Korea|last=World Health Organization|first=|date=2011|website=WHO Collaborating Center for Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Community Mental Health in Korea|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=7 October 2017}}</ref>
South Korean law prohibits workplace discrimination based on mental health conditions, but discrimination persists due to the lack of enforcement of such legislation. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are well-trained and numerous, but mental healthcare remains isolated from primary care, still a major contributor to South Korea's strong stigma against mental healthcare. Public spending on mental healthcare remains low, at 3%, most of which goes to inpatient mental hospitals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/korea_who_aims_report.pdf?ua=1|title=WHO-AIMS Report on Mental Health in Republic of Korea|last=World Health Organization|first=|date=2011|website=WHO Collaborating Center for Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Community Mental Health in Korea|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=7 October 2017}}</ref>

In 2001, between 3 and 4.2 percent of the South Korean population was estimated to have Major Depressive Disorder as outlined in the DSM-IV, a number which has been increasing. Women, smokers, shift workers, those with poor health, those who exercise in the evenings, those who perceive their lives to be stressful, and those that were underweight were more likely to have Major Depressive Disorder.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ohayon|first1=Maurice M.|last2=Hong|first2=Seung-Chul|title=Prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder in the General Population of South Korea|journal=Journal of Psychiatric Research|date=2006|volume=40|issue=1|pages=30-36|doi=10.1016/j.jpsychires.2005.02.003}}</ref> Depression is estimated to have an impact of over $4 billion USD in the South Korean economy, with morbidity costs taking up the greatest proportion of that value. Increasing attention to the treatment and prevention of depression would have an impact on economic growth as well as public health.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chang|first1=S.M.|last2=Hong|first2=J.P.|last3=Cho|first3=M.J.|title=Economic burden of depression in South Korea|journal=Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol|date=May 2012|volume=47|issue=683|doi=10.1007/s00127-011-0382-8}}</ref>

Maeng-Je Cho et al. found that over one-third of the South Korean population has had a [[mental disorder]] at any point in their lives, and over one-fifth have experienced a disorder in the past year.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Cho|first1=Maeng Je|last2=Kim|first2=Jang Kyu|last3=Jeon|first3=Hong Jin|title=Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence of DSM-IV Psychiatric Disorders among Korean adults|journal=Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease|date=March 2007|volume=195|issue=3|doi=10.1097/01.nmd.0000243826.40732.45}}</ref> Compared to the United States and other East Asian countries, alcohol use disorder is more prevalent in Korea, and treatment is four times less likely to be sought out in Korea.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal|last1=Chou|first1=S. Patricia|last2=Lee|first2=H.K.|last3=Cho|first3=M.J.|title=Alcohol Use Disorders, Nicotine Dependence, and Co Occurring Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the United States and South Korea—A Cross-National Comparison|journal=Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research|date=April 2012|volume=36|pages=654-662|doi=10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01639.x}}</ref> 17% of the South Korean population has insomnia, comparable to the rate of insomnia in the United States.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ohayon|first1=Maurice|last2=Hong|first2=Seung Chul|title=Prevalence of Insomnia and Associated Factors in South Korea|journal=Journal of Psychosomatic Research|date=2002|volume=53|issue=1|pages=593-600|doi=10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00449-X}}</ref> 6.6% of Koreans have nicotine dependence disorder, 2% have a mood disorder, and 5.2% have an anxiety disorder, all less frequent among Koreans than among Americans.<ref name=":2" />


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 21:26, 10 October 2017

Western medicine was first introduced to South Korea by missionary doctors, and led to the transition of mental healthcare from shamanistic healers and Traditional Korean medicine to mental hospitals sponsored by the Japanese government, which was occupying Korea, by 1910. Missionary hospitals, which tended to be more humane, also existed, but the isolation of patients by government mental hospitals contributed to the development of stigma in Korean society.[1] Recently, the basis of mental healthcare in South Korea has shifted from long-term hospital stays to community-based healthcare,[2][3] but the length of admission of those staying in mental hospitals is on an upward trend.[4][5] This calls into question the effectiveness of South Korean health infrastructure, as the average length of stay in other OECD countries was less than a quarter of that in South Korea in 2011.[5] The South Korean government passed the Mental Health Act in 1995.[2]

South Koreans have been found to have comparatively higher levels of internalized stigma, which relates to higher rates of mental illness and more severe symptoms.[6][7] Seeking treatment for mental health conditions is largely frowned upon in Korean culture, with reports stating that only seven percent of those affected by mental illness seek psychiatric help. Stigma also hinders the ability of those recovering from mental illness to reintegrate into society.[8]

South Korean law prohibits workplace discrimination based on mental health conditions, but discrimination persists due to the lack of enforcement of such legislation. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are well-trained and numerous, but mental healthcare remains isolated from primary care, still a major contributor to South Korea's strong stigma against mental healthcare. Public spending on mental healthcare remains low, at 3%, most of which goes to inpatient mental hospitals.[9]

In 2001, between 3 and 4.2 percent of the South Korean population was estimated to have Major Depressive Disorder as outlined in the DSM-IV, a number which has been increasing. Women, smokers, shift workers, those with poor health, those who exercise in the evenings, those who perceive their lives to be stressful, and those that were underweight were more likely to have Major Depressive Disorder.[10] Depression is estimated to have an impact of over $4 billion USD in the South Korean economy, with morbidity costs taking up the greatest proportion of that value. Increasing attention to the treatment and prevention of depression would have an impact on economic growth as well as public health.[11]

Maeng-Je Cho et al. found that over one-third of the South Korean population has had a mental disorder at any point in their lives, and over one-fifth have experienced a disorder in the past year.[12] Compared to the United States and other East Asian countries, alcohol use disorder is more prevalent in Korea, and treatment is four times less likely to be sought out in Korea.[13] 17% of the South Korean population has insomnia, comparable to the rate of insomnia in the United States.[14] 6.6% of Koreans have nicotine dependence disorder, 2% have a mood disorder, and 5.2% have an anxiety disorder, all less frequent among Koreans than among Americans.[13]

References

  1. ^ Min, Sung-kil; Yeo, In-sok (2017). "Mental Health in Korea: Past and Present". Mental Health in Asia and the Pacific: 79–92. doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-7999-5_5. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  2. ^ a b Kahng, Sang Kyoung; Kim, Hyemee (2010). "A Developmental Overview of the Mental Health System in South Korea". Social Work in Public Health. 25 (2): 158–175. doi:10.1080/19371910903070408. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ Roh, Sungwon (2016). "Mental health services and R&D in South Korea". International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 10 (45). doi:10.1186/s13033-016-0077-3. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  4. ^ Kim, Agnus M (2017). "Why do psychiatric patients in Korea stay longer in hospital?". International Journal of Mental Health Systems. 11 (2). doi:10.1186/s13033-016-0110-6. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  5. ^ a b Country-Press-Note-Korea.pdf "Korea's increase in suicides and psychiatric bed numbers is worrying, says OECD" (PDF). OECD. Retrieved 7 October 2017. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  6. ^ Boyd, Jennifer E; Adler, Emerald P (January 2014). "Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale: A Multinational Review". Comprehensive Psychiatry. 55 (1). doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.06.005.
  7. ^ Kim, Woo Jung; Song, Yoon Joo; Ryu, Hyun Sook (2015). "Internalized Stigma and Its Psychosocial Correlates in Korean Patients with Serious Mental Illness". Psychiatry Research. 225 (3): 433–39.
  8. ^ Research and Information Services. "RRT Research Response" (PDF). Refugee Research Tribunal. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  9. ^ World Health Organization (2011). "WHO-AIMS Report on Mental Health in Republic of Korea" (PDF). WHO Collaborating Center for Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Community Mental Health in Korea. Retrieved 7 October 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ Ohayon, Maurice M.; Hong, Seung-Chul (2006). "Prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder in the General Population of South Korea". Journal of Psychiatric Research. 40 (1): 30–36. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2005.02.003.
  11. ^ Chang, S.M.; Hong, J.P.; Cho, M.J. (May 2012). "Economic burden of depression in South Korea". Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 47 (683). doi:10.1007/s00127-011-0382-8.
  12. ^ Cho, Maeng Je; Kim, Jang Kyu; Jeon, Hong Jin (March 2007). "Lifetime and 12-Month Prevalence of DSM-IV Psychiatric Disorders among Korean adults". Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 195 (3). doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000243826.40732.45.
  13. ^ a b Chou, S. Patricia; Lee, H.K.; Cho, M.J. (April 2012). "Alcohol Use Disorders, Nicotine Dependence, and Co Occurring Mood and Anxiety Disorders in the United States and South Korea—A Cross-National Comparison". Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 36: 654–662. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01639.x.
  14. ^ Ohayon, Maurice; Hong, Seung Chul (2002). "Prevalence of Insomnia and Associated Factors in South Korea". Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 53 (1): 593–600. doi:10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00449-X.
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