A nationwide survey will begin to assess adolescents' depression, loneliness, and smartphone overdependence. For the first time this year, a depression screening tool will be introduced to analyze adolescent mental health levels in more detail.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on the 7th that, together with the Ministry of Education, it will conduct the 22nd (2026) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The survey will run from the 8th to July 3 and target about 60,000 students enrolled at 800 middle and high schools nationwide.
The Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a government-approved statistics survey conducted annually to assess adolescents' overall health behaviors, including smoking, drinking, physical activity, diet, and mental health. The collected data are used as basic materials for establishing and evaluating government adolescent health policies and programs.
The questionnaire consists of about 100 items. Since 2018, the agency has conducted in-depth surveys by domain on a three-year cycle, and this year it will focus on mental health, internet addiction, and health equity.
In particular, this year's survey will introduce a depression screening tool for the first time to more precisely assess the state of adolescent mental health. In addition, questions on sources of stress, loneliness, and subjective happiness will be added to analyze adolescents' psychological status from multiple angles.
Questions are also included to identify health behaviors and the level of health disparities stemming from recent social changes, such as smartphone overdependence and experiences with financial support.
The survey will be conducted during school class hours in an anonymous, self-administered format, with students responding via mobile devices.
Im Seung-kwan, commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, "The Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey is an important evidence base for establishing adolescent health policies," and asked for the active participation of schools and students selected as samples. He added, "We will continue to increase the utility of the survey by reflecting adolescents' emerging health issues and policy needs."