Tried the Isolation Self-Diagnosis Test... "What Should High-Risk Groups Do?" [Cheongnyeon Isolation 24 Hours]

<After the Report>
Loneliness and Social Isolation Tests Taken by Readers
If High Risk, Seek Help from Experts

Professor Hong Jin-pyo, Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Creator of Loneliness and Social Isolation Scale

Editor's NoteWhen eating alone after work, having hundreds of contacts saved on your phone but no one to confide in during tough times, or being unable to ask for help when sick or out of money... Young people in their 20s and 30s whom Asia Economy met confessed to feeling isolated in such moments. Could this be your story? If you have thought that words like 'hikikomori' or 'eundunhyeong oeltoli' (reclusive social withdrawal) are stories from a different world, now is the time to properly reconsider isolation and withdrawal.

"It has been confirmed that the mental health of people experiencing loneliness and social isolation together is in the most severe state. They suffer from emotional loneliness and social alienation, eventually becoming completely socially isolated."

Professor Hong Jin-pyo, Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center (Photo by Samsung Medical Center)

The first step to solving isolation and withdrawal issues is for the individual to recognize their own problem. Once they understand whether they feel lonely and socially isolated, they can take action to resolve the issue. The special investigative team’s [Youth Isolation 24 Hours] articles, which began publishing on the 4th, included a scale to measure one’s degree of loneliness and social isolation. This scale consists of six items reflecting Korea’s social and cultural background, assessing levels of loneliness, social support, and social networks. Nearly 600 readers from teenagers to middle-aged and older adults in their 50s used this scale to evaluate their own loneliness and social isolation.

Professor Hong Jin-pyo, a psychiatrist at Samsung Seoul Hospital who developed this scale, explained in an interview with Asia Economy on the 10th, after the first article was published, that the most severe 'high-risk group' (scoring 10 or more out of 18 points) accounts for the top 15% of the adult population in terms of loneliness and social isolation. Among reader responses, 42% (as of the 17th) belonged to the high-risk group for loneliness and social isolation, with the same proportion found in the youth group of people in their 20s and 30s, which is relatively high.

According to Professor Hong, the prevalence of major depressive disorder in the high-risk group is 26.4%, much higher than in the low-risk group (3.9%) and the moderate-risk group (9.5%). Anxiety disorder prevalence is also significantly higher in the high-risk group at 17.5%, compared to 10% in the moderate-risk group and 7.7% in the low-risk group. The high-risk group also shows higher rates of tobacco and alcohol use, as well as suicidal thoughts, suicide plans, and suicide attempts, with these rates increasing from low-risk to high-risk groups.

The high-risk group is also characterized by a markedly lower life satisfaction. Readers who participated in the scale survey left comments expressing their struggles, such as "Life feels like a journey of enduring pain," "I have lost hope for the future for several years," and "I feel alone in the world." Professor Hong emphasized, "The high-risk group faces serious danger and needs immediate and professional support. Since suicidal tendencies are also high, it is necessary to have appropriate crisis response methods and networks connecting them to people who can offer help."

When asked if the low-risk group (8 points or less out of 18) can be reassured, Professor Hong replied, "It does not mean freedom from mental health problems," adding, "Depending on the individual's environment or issues, they can become moderate or high-risk, so it is important to monitor one’s condition for prevention." He also recommended knowing in advance the contact information of institutions that can provide help when needed and building an environment where social support can be received regularly.

Loneliness and social isolation may seem similar at first glance but are subtly different. Both concepts start from a lack of social relationships, but loneliness refers to a subjective feeling experienced by the individual, whereas social isolation is an objective state indicating a lack of social relationships itself. According to Professor Hong, even if someone is socially isolated but does not feel lonely, preferring an independent lifestyle and voluntarily cutting off relationships with others, their risk of mental illnesses such as depression, life satisfaction, and suicidal tendencies is not higher than the general population. The problem lies with those who experience both loneliness and social isolation simultaneously.

"People who experience loneliness tend to seek interaction with others, ask for help, and pursue recovery, but those who fail and fall into isolation are in the most difficult state. These are the individuals who desperately need social support to overcome isolation."

Professor Hong, a psychiatrist with 37 years of experience who has actively participated in mental health policy development, is closely monitoring the issue of youth isolation and withdrawal. Although loneliness and isolation have always been societal issues, youth isolation and withdrawal are increasingly becoming social concerns. Currently, he serves as the director of the Seoul Mental Health Welfare Support Group, president of the Korean Anxiety Psychiatry Association, and vice president of the Korean Society of Social Psychiatry. In 2018, he received a presidential citation for contributions to mental illness surveys, mental health, and suicide prevention policy development.

Professor Hong analyzed that factors such as urbanization and the destruction of communities leading to a lack of close relationships, social disconnection caused by IT technology development, youth unemployment, and relative deprivation influenced by social networking services (SNS) are driving young people into isolation and withdrawal. He pointed out, "Families, which used to provide social support to youth, are decreasing in number and weakening in function. The positive roles of alumni associations, hometown clubs, and club meetings are diminishing, and the proportion of religious activity participation is rapidly declining. The social functions that protect them from loneliness and isolation are weakening."

"People become withdrawn due to the pressure or burden of not meeting societal or family expectations, avoiding relationships and gradually becoming isolated. Personality traits such as social anxiety or lack of sociability lead them to prefer living alone rather than enduring discomfort in social connections, eventually resulting in withdrawal. They satisfy their social interaction needs through games or SNS messengers, staying in low-pressure relationships and falling into isolation."

Professor Hong explained that loneliness and isolation are not the most severe among youth when viewed across the entire life cycle. However, "Those experiencing loneliness and social isolation during this period lose opportunities for social interaction," warning that "Because social skills do not develop, isolation may persist throughout life, increasing fears about marriage and childbirth." He added, "They are more likely to give up on their desired jobs or social activities and not participate in economic activities for life, which can cause economic difficulties not only for themselves but also for their families. Even if they suffer from mental illness, they lack resources or strength to overcome it, leading to chronic conditions."

As youth isolation and withdrawal emerge as social phenomena, policy support is essential. Professor Hong said, "We need to develop and provide social activity support services for reclusive youth." He also emphasized the need to identify high-risk groups for loneliness and social isolation and provide them with educational information. At the same time, universities and workplaces should offer mental health services addressing communication skills and emotional regulation techniques to prepare for loneliness and social isolation beyond mental illness. Public institutions and religious organizations should create programs to expand community participation.

Check your risk level for loneliness and social isolation

-Loneliness and Social Isolation Scale

https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/list/project/2024050314290051322A

If you want to read the 'Youth Isolation 24 Hours' articles

<1>Youth isolated and withdrawn whom Asia Economy met
① I am a 28-year-old isolated youth... "A being who cannot fulfill a single role"
② Isolation caused by employment... A day spent without saying a word all day
③ Harder than parenting is having no one to talk to... That’s how depression came
④ Eating instant rice and ramen for 3 years and playing games all day... Emotional instability worsens and eventually

<2>2024 Isolation Awareness Survey
① 6 out of 10 say "I feel lonely"... Complaining of relationship breakdown and deprivation pain
② "Feeling alone at work"... 1 in 2 office workers say isolation worsened

<3>Youth isolated and withdrawn seen from the side
① 'Corona class' is at risk... This year's flood of counseling calls
② Traces left at the end of isolation... "I want to see mom and dad, I’m sorry"

<4>Reasons for isolation and social costs
① No job, no friends... Only a smartphone in hand
② Economic loss over 11 trillion won... If neglected, the nation will also be 'shaken'

<5>Limitations of Korea’s three no-policy
① No control tower and 213 local ordinances 'all over the place'
② Solving 540,000 isolated and withdrawn youth with 32 people?... Lack of budget, manpower, and research
③ Bitter end of copying Japan... Youth calling for Korean-style policies

<6>How the world is solving isolation problems
① "Smartphones are ruining youth, why no countermeasures?"... A British economist’s sharp criticism
② Japan with many reclusive social withdrawals... Focused on workplace isolation
③ [Exclusive] WHO to create a global index to respond to 'isolation problems'


① Parents broken by guilt... "Grateful to be alive"
② Tried self-diagnosis test for isolation... "What should high-risk groups do?"