The number of adolescents visiting hospitals for mental health issues is rising rapidly. In particular, the number of patients ages 10 to 14 receiving care for mental and behavioral disorders has doubled in four years.
According to the study "Advancing the delivery system for adolescent mental health support," conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI) on the 9th, the number of patients ages 10 to 14 receiving care for mental and behavioral disorders in 2024 was tallied at 134,840. Compared with 2020 (67,907), it surged 98.6% in four years.
During the same period, patients ages 15 to 19 increased 53.9%, from 110,000 to 183,103, and those ages 20 to 24 rose 23.2%, from 191,540 to 235,972. While the absolute number of patients was higher in older age groups, the pace of increase was faster in younger ones.
Even as the adolescent population declines, the number of patients has grown, pushing up the patient ratio. Combining data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the share of patients receiving care for mental and behavioral disorders among those ages 10 to 14 rose from 2.9% in 2020 to 5.8% in 2024, doubling. The figure for ages 15 to 19 increased from 4.8% to 8%, and for ages 20 to 24 from 5.9% to 8.9%.
The deterioration of adolescents' mental health is also evident in suicide rate indicators. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS), the 2024 suicide rate for ages 10 to 14 was 3.5 per 100,000 people, up from 2.1 in 2020. For ages 15 to 19, it was 12.6 per 100,000, an increase of 2.2 over the same period. Since 2011, suicide has consistently been the leading cause of death among adolescents.
Yeon Bora, a research fellow at the National Youth Policy Institute, said, "Use of medical services for mental health issues is rising rapidly among early adolescents," and noted, "It is important to quickly identify adolescents at high risk for mental health crises, secure their immediate safety, and build an environment for long-term recovery."