3 minute read
Topic Introduction
from 마음 Maeum
by Seonjae Choi
Initially, I started the concept development from suicide, one of the biggest social problems in South Korea.
Compared to other Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in 2019, the country’s suicide rate is 26.6 deaths per 100,000 persons, which is almost double of the OECD average (Figure 1). We live in the age of well-being, but in one side of society, the act of killing oneself is repeated and pervasive. As a Korean citizen, I feel a strong need to reduce the suicide rate and want to contribute to minimize many people’s pains.
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There are variety of factors that lead people to suicidal attempts; it is quite difficult to identify all of the reasons clearly because everyone is in different circumstances and suicide is the result of complex combination of socio-economic, cultural, or health-related reasons. However, there’s common point between people attempted suicide. According to the psychological autopsy done between 2015-2017 in Korea, 87.5% of suicidees had depression and/or other mental disorders but 85% of them didn’t receive proper treatment at the hospital (Figure 2). The consumption of antidepressant in Korea is the second lowest out of that of 34 countries, which is almost half of the average consumption rate (Figure 3). Naturally, it has resulted low depression cure rate in South Korea, which is only around 10%.
Why is the mental illness treatment rate in South Korea so low? The atmosphere in Korean society plays a major role. One of the characteristics of South Korean society is citizens negative perception about mental disorder. Many people are reluctant to go to psychiatry and worried if they would get disadvantages from going to department of psychiatry or if someone they know would find out about their mental illness. Quite a lot of people with mental disorder are hiding their situations even from their families. Another one is lack of mental helath awareness; in Korea, depression still tends to be considered as a weakness or a lack of will, rather than a disease.
Figure 1 : OECD Countries’ Suicide Rate Comparison
Korean psychological Autopsy Data
Source : Korean Psychological Autopsy Center
Figure 2 : Analysis from Korean Pschological Autopsy Center
Figure 3 : Antidepressant Consumption Comparison (Source : OECD)
Figure 4 : Subway platform screendoor & Bridge of Life on Mapo Bridge in Seoul
It is highly likely that the report rate of depression and other mental disorders will be lower than the actual rate, as there are many cases in which people feel ashamed or hide the disease itself due to social prejudice towards mental illness and psychiatric treatment.
The government has been striving to curb the suicide epidemic by implementing campaigns, such as 생명의 다리 (Bridge of Life) on Mapo Bridge and subway platform screendoor (Figure 4). However, these installations are mainly dealing with suicide sites, and the results have not been very effective. At this point, it is necessary to focus on fundamental solutions rather than a suicide spot-based method.
It is true that government-level policies play a major role in preventing suicide, however, policies become useless if members of a society are reluctant to actively have conversation about mental health or suicide. Despite the high suicide rate, countless people still don’t know how to communicate with those who are thinking of committing suicide. 92.0% of suicidees showed a warning signal to people around them prior to death, and one out of every three people who thought of committing suicide gives up suicide when they are asked about depression or suicide. They change their mind because they think there’s someone who tries or wants to understand them. They don’t want to die but escape the emotional distress that afflicts them. To express our feelings honestly and ask for help should be much easier than to take our own lives.
