Number of Depression Patients in Their Teens and Twenties Doubles
Medical Expenses Reach 1 Trillion Won
"Urgent Need for Mental Health Measures"
The number of people in South Korea suffering from depression and bipolar disorder has increased by more than 40% over the past six years. In particular, the proportion of young people in their teens to thirties and female patients has risen sharply, leading experts to analyze that these conditions are spreading beyond individual issues to become a societal disease.
According to data submitted by Assemblywoman Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, from the National Health Insurance Service on October 30, the number of patients with depression in South Korea surged by 47.0%, from 752,976 in 2018 to 1,106,744 last year. During the same period, medical expenses for depression nearly doubled, rising from 390.8 billion won to 761.5 billion won.
The number of patients with bipolar disorder also increased by 45.7%, from 95,911 to 139,731. Medical expenses for bipolar disorder rose by 57.0%, from 116.1 billion won to 182.3 billion won. The combined total medical expenses for both conditions last year amounted to 943.9 billion won, approaching 1 trillion won.
Depression is a disorder characterized by repeated episodes of severe depression and anxiety without a specific cause, while bipolar disorder is a type of mood disorder in which episodes of mania and depression alternate.
As of the first half of this year, there were 843,671 patients with depression and 114,265 patients with bipolar disorder. Their respective medical expenses reached 393.2 billion won and 93.9 billion won. Considering the average annual growth rate of medical expenses for each condition during the relevant period, it is highly likely that the total medical expenses for this year will exceed 1 trillion won.
By age group, the increase among young people was particularly prominent. The number of patients with depression under 10 years old increased by 123.6%, from 967 to 2,162; among those in their thirties, by 112.0%, from 90,156 to 191,123; and among those in their twenties, by 99.3%, from 97,675 to 194,638. The number of teenage patients also rose by 96.2%, from 37,250 to 73,075. As of last year, patients with depression under the age of 10 to those in their thirties accounted for 41.7% of the total.
For bipolar disorder, the number of patients under 10 years old increased 4.3 times, and among teenagers, it grew by 90.5% during the same period. By gender, the proportion of female patients was significantly higher, at 67.2% for depression and 62.4% for bipolar disorder, compared to male patients.
Assemblywoman Kim Mi-ae emphasized, "Depression and bipolar disorder are not simply individual illnesses, but pathological phenomena rooted in social structure," adding, "The government must intervene early and expand the budget to address the growing mental health issues, particularly among young people and women."
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