"Not Ashamed"...2030 Generation Overcoming Barriers to Mental and Psychological Treatment

27.0% Mental Health Treatment Rate This Year
22.7% Increase Compared to 5 Years Ago
"Reflecting Changed Social Conditions... Likely to Continue"

#Lee Ha-yeon (23), a university student living in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, has been visiting a psychological counseling center every two weeks recently. She had long suffered from anxiety and depression due to ongoing conflicts with her parents since her school days, but she discovered a one-day program perfectly suited to her through a psychological counseling application (app). Although the counseling fees are not cheap, Lee has been steadily working part-time to afford the sessions. She said, "It's been a problem since my school days, but I never thought about getting psychological treatment," adding, "Once I actually received treatment, I found the atmosphere more comfortable than I expected, and I feel glad I did it."

#Jung Mo (32), a newlywed who got married earlier this year, has been attending a 'couples clinic' with her husband for the past month. She was worried about frequent conflicts over trivial issues with her husband but gained courage after seeing a couples counseling scene on a TV program. Jung said, "I was afraid that people around me would see us as a 'problematic family' if we went to a couples clinic, but recently I heard from others that couples clinics can help with differences in values or household chore distribution, so I signed up," adding, "By solving the homework assigned by the counselor together every week, we have fewer arguments."

On a rainy weekend night, young people are studying at a library in Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Heo Young-han

The number of people in their 20s and 30s actively seeking counseling is increasing, breaking the stigma that surrounded mental and psychological treatment. Experts predict this trend will continue, noting that in an era where social isolation is common, young people are more likely to view mental and psychological issues such as depression as a form of illness.

According to the '2024 National Mental Health Knowledge and Attitude Survey' published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 27.0% of respondents received treatment for mental health issues this year, a 5 percentage point increase compared to 22.0% in 2019. The percentage of people visiting hospitals for mental health problems has steadily risen from 22.0% in 2019 to 25.3% in 2021, 26.9% in 2022, and 27.0% in 2024. Notably, the rates were highest among those in their 20s and 30s. Among respondents who said they had received treatment for mental health issues this year, 36.4% were in their 20s?the highest among all age groups?followed by 29.6% in their 30s.

Various counseling apps targeting young people are also gaining popularity. These apps, which provide online and offline psychological counseling services, introduce counselors' backgrounds so users can select one tailored to their symptoms and types. They offer age-specific recommended programs for infants, children, adolescents, and adults, as well as specialized programs such as 'breakup and reconciliation counseling' and 'pet loss syndrome.' On communities frequently visited by young people, posts like 'How to find a counselor that suits me' and 'Reviews of psychiatric counseling' are actively shared.

Experts analyze this as a result of changes in how young people perceive mental health issues in a society where loneliness has become widespread. Professor Lim Un-taek of Keimyung University's Department of Sociology explained, "Loneliness and depression felt by modern people alongside social isolation have become common phenomena," adding, "Young people who grew up witnessing this are more likely than older generations to perceive mental health issues as just another illness." He continued, "In South Korea, popular programs dealing with psychological counseling have increased, similar to advanced countries like the U.S. and Europe, and young people, who have relatively high media exposure, may have been influenced by this. This trend is expected to continue."