Child and adolescent depression rates surge, spurred by academic and social pressures
Published: 01 Sep. 2025, 13:55
Updated: 01 Sep. 2025, 15:59
![Stock photo of a person feeling depressed and stressed sitting in the dark bedroom. [GETTY IMAGES]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/01/caec77be-69d8-4428-af54-32ecdf317359.jpg)
Stock photo of a person feeling depressed and stressed sitting in the dark bedroom. [GETTY IMAGES]
A 9-year-old boy living in Seoul has been receiving treatment for depression at a psychiatric clinic since last year. His parents divorced after years of frequent arguments, and his mother was also diagnosed with depression two years ago.
“I think growing up in an unstable home environment affected his emotional development,” the mother said. “Since starting elementary school, he’s become more irritable when things go wrong with his friends and spends more time on his smartphone. His behavior worsened, so we sought medical help.”
The number of children being treated for depression before their teenage years has more than doubled in the past four years, raising concerns about the deteriorating mental health of Korea's youth. In 2024, the number of patients diagnosed with depression nationwide surpassed 1.1 million — the highest on record.
The number of patients diagnosed with depression rose from 832,483 in 2020 to 1,106,603 in 2024 — a 32.9 percent increase, according to data compiled by the National Health Insurance Service released Sunday by liberal Democratic Party Rep. Seo Mi-hwa, who sits on the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee.
The steepest increase was seen in children under the age of 10. In 2020, just 991 children in this age group were treated for depression. By 2024, the number had jumped 118.2 percent to 2,162.
Teenagers saw the next largest increase, rising 83.5 percent from 39,817 in 2020 to 73,070 in 2024. Other age groups also showed notable increases: people in their 30s with 69.7 percent, 40s with 52.4 percent and 20s with 35.9 percent.
The worsening mental health of children and teens is also evident in suicide statistics. The number of suicide deaths among people under 19 rose from 317 in 2020 to 373 last year. Statistics Korea data released Sunday showed that 180 teenagers died by suicide in the first half of this year alone.
![A hagwon, or cram school, district in central Seoul on Feb. 3 [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/09/01/b0346c26-2f83-4385-a961-698009db4b0e.jpg)
A hagwon, or cram school, district in central Seoul on Feb. 3 [YONHAP]
Academic pressure and early exposure to social media
Child psychiatry experts cite increased academic pressure at a younger age and early exposure to social media as major factors contributing to the rise in childhood and adolescent depression.
“Children now experience academic and social stress much earlier than before. In the past, these issues typically arose in middle school,” said Joung Yoo-sook, a professor of psychiatry at Samsung Medical Center. “Children are also being exposed to more information at a younger age through social media and many struggle to regulate their screen time.”
Hong Hyun-ju, a professor of psychiatry at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, noted that children with depression often use smartphones excessively, which can worsen symptoms.
“There are more cases of severe symptoms, such as 10-year-olds being hospitalized for depression, which we rarely saw in the past,” said Hong. “Some children also become victims of sex crimes through social media, which exacerbates their condition.”
However, Hong added that the apparent increase in patients could partly be due to growing public awareness and willingness to seek psychiatric help.
Experts also raised concerns about the lack of treatment infrastructure. “There aren't enough hospital beds for high-risk children who have attempted suicide,” Hong said. “We need to expand related facilities and staffing.”
“With mental health, timing is everything,” said Rep. Seo. “We must identify and address these issues early. Expanding the country’s mental health infrastructure is urgently needed.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY NAM SOO-HYOUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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