Nearly 210,000 kids, teens in S.Korea treated for depression since 2019

Seoul, May 4 Nearly 210,000 children and teens in South Korea visited a hospital for depression or anxiety disorders since 2019, data from the National Health Insurance Service showed on Thursday.

According to the data submitted to Representative Kim Byong-wook of the ruling People Power Party, a total of 209,565 students under the age of 18 consulted a doctor for either depression or anxiety disorders from 2019 to the early half of 2022, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The number of such patients grew 25.8 per cent from 50,433 in 2019 to 63,463 in 2021.

In the early half of 2022 alone, the figure came to 46,504, the report showed.

By illness type, 135,068 adolescents received treatment for depression, while those for anxiety disorders came to 74,497 during the four year period.

High school students, or adolescents between the ages of 16 to 18, accounted for the majority of patients with 63.8 per cent.

"Mental health problems that occur during a person's adolescent years can impact the individual's family, social and work life throughout adulthood," Kim said.

"Education authorities should pre-emptively monitor the mental health of students from their kindergarten and elementary school stages, and support health care measures accordingly."