"Fear of Stigma, High Hospital Barriers"...Youth in Crisis [MZ Mindfulness]

4 out of 10 Suicide Attempters
Main Cause: Mental Health Issues
Most Reluctant to Seek Counseling or Treatment

Editor's NoteThe leading cause of death among young people in South Korea is suicide. The number of self-harm and suicide attempts by age group shows that those in their 20s and 30s account for about half of the total. To achieve the government's goal of halving the suicide rate within 10 years, detailed suicide prevention measures for youth must be established. Asia Economy diagnoses the causes and solutions of suicide among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) in a five-part series.

Office worker Kim (34) is receiving treatment for depression at a psychiatric clinic. Even his family and girlfriend do not know about this. He is afraid of social stigma and cannot bring himself to talk about it. Kim said, “I hesitated for months before going to the hospital for the first time,” and “I am scared of how people around me will see me.”

Although the government is rolling out suicide prevention policies, the suicide rate among people in their 20s and 30s has not decreased. Major causes of youth suicide include mental health issues such as interpersonal relationships and problems at school or work. Although the nationwide Mind Investment Support Project has officially started, the threshold to visit psychiatric clinics or counseling centers remains high. Ultimately, it is pointed out that social perception improvement must come first.

National Mind Investment Support Project Promotional Video. [Image source=Ministry of Health and Welfare]

◆Repeated Suicide Attempts Require Continuous Management

According to the Statistics Korea’s “Cause of Death Statistics Results” released on the 22nd, suicide is the leading cause of death among people in their 20s and 30s, accounting for 50.6% and 37.9% of all deaths in 2022, respectively. The number of suicides per 100,000 population over the past five years was 17.6 and 27.5 in 2018, 19.2 and 26.9 in 2019, 21.7 and 27.1 in 2020, 23.5 and 27.3 in 2021, and 21.4 and 25.3 in 2022.

In fact, 4 out of 10 suicide attempters were in their 20s and 30s. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s “Suicide Status Survey,” in 2022, there were 9,008 suicide attempters aged 19-29 (29.4%) and 4,251 aged 30-39 (13.8%). This data was analyzed from suicide attempters who visited 85 medical institutions participating in the emergency room-based suicide attempter follow-up management project.

The motives for suicide attempts among those in their 20s were mental health (37.9%), interpersonal relationships (18.0%), school/work problems (8.5%), quarrels/scoldings (6.9%), and economic problems (4.1%), in that order. For those in their 30s, the order was mental health (31.9%), interpersonal relationships (18.1%), quarrels/scoldings (9.2%), economic problems (8.4%), and school/work problems (5.7%). As age increased, the proportion of economic problems rose while mental health and interpersonal relationship issues decreased. This suggests the need for differentiated suicide prevention policies by generation.

Regarding psychiatric treatment history, 48.6% of those in their 20s and 41.8% of those in their 30s were undergoing treatment, while 8.3% of those in their 20s and 12.3% of those in their 30s appeared to have mental health issues. Regarding physical health, 51.7% of those in their 20s and 48.6% of those in their 30s were healthy, while 8.9% of those in their 20s and 10.6% of those in their 30s had chronic diseases causing daily life difficulties. At the time of the suicide attempt, 31.4% of those in their 20s and 38.8% of those in their 30s had consumed alcohol. The proportion of respondents with past suicide attempt experience was higher among youth, with 48.8% in their 20s and 35.7% in their 30s, compared to middle-aged and older adults. Continuous attention and management for young suicide attempters are crucial.

◆Mind Investment Project Launched, Awareness Must Improve First

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has launched the “Nationwide Mind Investment Support Project” this month. Those recognized as needing psychological counseling at mental health welfare centers, university counseling centers, or psychiatric institutions, or those found to have moderate or higher levels of depression during national health checkups, can receive vouchers for up to eight one-on-one face-to-face counseling sessions, each lasting at least 50 minutes, at 443 service providers nationwide.

Eligible individuals can apply for the service by bringing referral documents such as a counseling center referral letter to their local town, township, or neighborhood administrative welfare center. The service fee varies by type: KRW 80,000 for level 1 and KRW 70,000 for level 2. The out-of-pocket cost depends on income level; those with income between 70% and 120% of the median income pay only KRW 8,000 for level 1 counseling. Youth preparing for independence and others may be exempt from paying the out-of-pocket cost.

However, most people avoid professional counseling. The perception among youth is not much different. Regarding experience of seeking help when having suicidal thoughts (multiple responses allowed), among those in their 20s, 53.2% said no one, 37.7% friends/neighbors, 11.8% family/relatives, 7.6% medical professionals, and 2.7% counseling experts. Among those in their 30s, 41.5% said no one, 37.5% friends/neighbors, 22.3% spouse/partner, 13.4% family/relatives, and 14.5% medical professionals.

The main reasons for not receiving professional counseling were believing the problem would improve over time, thinking it was something to overcome alone, doubting counseling would help, and fear of negative perceptions from others. When asked about willingness to seek professional counseling if suicidal thoughts arise in the future, over half responded negatively: 51.3% of those in their 20s and 53.1% of those in their 30s.

Professor Lee Eun-jin of Suwon University Graduate School of Social Welfare (Chair of External Cooperation Committee, Korea Suicide Prevention Association) advised, “People feel ashamed to seek professional help for mental health issues, and when faced with situations they cannot handle alone, depression and anxiety can worsen. It is important to expand the perception that it is natural to seek help when struggling mentally, and social interest and welfare support for marginalized youth are required.”

※If you have difficult feelings such as depression or know family or acquaintances experiencing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling by calling the suicide prevention hotline ☎109.