170,000 Out-of-School Youth... Mental Health Issues Four Times Higher Than Students [Invisible Children] ②

Driven Out by Psychological Distress
Mental Disorder Prevalence Nears 40% Among Out-of-School Youth
Integrated, Not Isolated, Support Needed

Recently, the number of "out-of-school youth" who have dropped out of elementary, middle, and high schools has been increasing, and their mental health has been found to be more than four times worse compared to students who remain in school. Experts unanimously stress the urgent need for effective government-level measures to protect these young people who have been pushed outside the formal education system.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on January 24, the number of out-of-school youth has been on the rise, with 145,818 in 2021, 167,925 in 2022, 166,507 in 2023, and 173,767 in 2024. Considering that the total youth population is declining, the pace of school dropout is actually accelerating.

The main reason these young people leave school is no longer delinquency or family circumstances. According to the "2023 Out-of-School Youth Survey," among high school students, who accounted for the largest share of dropouts (62.2%), the top reason for quitting school was "psychological or mental health issues" (37.9%). Although they left school due to emotional pain, an even harsher reality awaited them outside the school system.

The period when most youth left school was during high school at 62.2%, followed by middle school at 20.8%, and elementary school at 17.0%. Looking at the reasons for leaving, among those who dropped out during high school, "psychological or mental health issues" (37.9%) were cited most frequently.

Without the protective environment of school, these children are highly prone to isolation. 42.9% of out-of-school youth reported having experienced reclusion. By duration, "less than one month" was the most common at 21.9%, followed by "one to less than three months" (10.8%) and "three to less than six months" (3.5%). The proportion of those who were reclusive for "six months or more," which can be seen as entrenched social disconnection, was also high at 6.4%. The most common reason for locking themselves in their rooms was "feeling lethargic or depressed" (28.6%), followed by "not wanting to do anything" (24.9%), and "not knowing what to do" (13.7%).

Actual data shows that the crisis facing these young people has surpassed the "warning" level. According to a survey released by the National Center for Mental Health in October 2024, which targeted 1,561 out-of-school youth aged 12 to 17, the current prevalence of mental disorders among out-of-school youth was 40.5%. This is more than four times higher than the prevalence among general youth (9.5%). The "lifetime prevalence," meaning those who have experienced a mental disorder at least once in their lives, reached 53.5%.

By diagnosis, major depressive disorder was the most common at 20.9%, followed by obsessive-compulsive disorder (11.4%), substance use disorder (8.7%), tic disorder (7.3%), and alcohol use disorder (7.2%). This confirms a vicious cycle in which depression leads to dependence on alcohol and drugs.

The situation was especially dire for youth within the juvenile justice system. Among those in juvenile detention centers, the current prevalence of mental health problems was 72%, and the lifetime prevalence was a staggering 90.2%, indicating that virtually all of them were in need of treatment.

Mental suffering was directly linked to the risk of extreme choices. Among out-of-school youth with mental health problems, 71.3% had considered suicide, and more than half, 53.9%, had actually attempted suicide, highlighting the urgent need for countermeasures.

Experts emphasize that out-of-school youth should be viewed not as "problem children," but as "children in need of treatment." Lim Myungho, professor of psychology at Dankook University, said, "Out-of-school youth are more likely to have mental disorders than other youth, so support for them is desperately needed. Currently, the Ministry of Education supports students, and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family supports out-of-school youth. We need to move away from viewing out-of-school youth and enrolled students separately, and instead establish an integrated mental health prevention system from a perspective of convergence."

Kim Heejin, senior research fellow at the National Youth Policy Institute, said, "We need to further promote counseling support so that out-of-school youth experiencing psychological difficulties can be immediately connected to psychological treatment from the moment they leave school. When providing counseling support, the positions of out-of-school youth and their parents may differ, which can become an obstacle to support. Therefore, there also needs to be discussion at the government level about how to support out-of-school youth."