More than half (55.4%) of seclusion rooms in psychiatric medical institutions were found to have no windows installed. In 83.6% of psychiatric wards, the corridors were double-loaded types that are vulnerable to natural light or ventilation, and multi-bed rooms with five to six beds or more accounted for 60%.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the 13th released the results of a "status survey to develop a model for realizing human-rights-friendly treatment facilities and environments in psychiatric medical institutions." The survey team obtained floor plans from 111 psychiatric medical institutions nationwide last year and visited 27 hospitals in Korea and abroad for comparison.
The average area of seclusion rooms in psychiatric medical institutions also varied widely by type. General hospitals averaged 12.27㎡, but psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric clinics were only 7.61㎡ and 4.66㎡, respectively.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) assessed that the poor facilities in psychiatric medical institutions stem from inadequate standards in the system. For example, Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Rule of the Mental Health and Welfare Act specifies only the inpatient room area per patient, the distance between beds, and the number of seclusion rooms to be installed.
In addition, the Basic Plan for Mental Health and Welfare (2026–2030) does not include plans to improve the overall environment of psychiatric medical institutions. The hospital accreditation and evaluation items also fail to reflect the realities of psychiatric medical institutions, and the regular guidance and supervision by public health centers remain at a perfunctory level, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) determined that confining people with mental illness in poor facility environments can transform hospitalization for "treatment" into "detention," potentially infringing on human dignity and physical liberty.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended that the Minister of Health and Welfare conduct a full survey of the physical environments of seclusion rooms, inpatient rooms, and daylighting and ventilation at psychiatric medical institutions nationwide, and, based on that, establish a national "road map for improving facility environments at psychiatric medical institutions."
▲ Specifically provide in the Enforcement Rule of the Mental Health and Welfare Act the standards for seclusion room dimensions and equipment; inpatient room daylighting and lighting; ventilation; hygiene; and safety equipment to prevent self-harm and harm to others, and reflect these in the accreditation and evaluation criteria for psychiatric medical institutions ▲ Prepare national-level financial support measures so psychiatric medical institutions can actively participate in facility environment improvements, such as support for facility repair costs, low-interest loan programs, and reimbursement systems linked to facility investment ▲ Also recommend that local government public health centers strengthen guidance and supervision of hygiene management and safety equipment at psychiatric medical institutions.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said, "We hope that the facility environments of psychiatric medical institutions will be improved with a focus on recovery and human rights so that people with mental illness can receive mental health services in a safer and more dignified medical environment, and that related laws and systems will be improved."