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Antidepressant prescriptions to children, teens more than doubled over five years, data shows

Published: 31 Mar. 2026, 14:01 Updated: 31 Mar. 2026, 18:39

A distressed man buries his face in his hands in this image unrelated to the story. [GETTY IMAGES]

The number of antidepressant prescriptions to children and teenagers last year more than doubled compared to five years earlier, data shows.

Antidepressants in general were prescribed 24.4 million times last year, up 36.7 percent from 2020, according to data that conservative People Power Party Rep. Kim Mi-ae, a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, received from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.

The figure was up from 17.85 million in 2020. Antidepressant prescriptions continued to rise each year afterward and surpassed 20 million in 2022.

The numbers rose sharply, particularly among children and teenagers.

For children ages 0 to 9, prescriptions jumped 156.8 percent from 44,000 in 2020 to 113,000 in 2025. For those ages 10 to 19, the figure rose 127.4 percent over the same period from 565,000 to 1.29 million.

The next-biggest increases came among people in their 30s at 74.7 percent and those in their 20s at 55.9 percent, suggesting that stress related to school, employment and economic activity may have contributed to depressive symptoms.

Amid rapid aging, antidepressant prescriptions for people aged 60 and older, who accounted for nearly half of all cases, also rose 21.3 percent from nearly 8.69 million to 10.54 million.

Customers are seen at a pharmacy in Jongno District, central Seoul, on July 12, 2023. [NEWS1]

Among the top 20 primary diagnoses linked to antidepressant prescriptions in 2025, hyperkinetic disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, posted the sharpest increase, surging 433.8 percent from 157,000 to 838,000.

Prescriptions also increased for reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders at 80.4 percent, sleep disorders at 77.6 percent and obsessive-compulsive disorder at 59.3 percent.

“The sharp rise in antidepressant prescriptions over a short period is not simply a matter of increased medical use, but a sign that the mental health crisis across our society is deepening,” Kim said. “Given the steep increase among younger people in particular, there is an urgent need for prevention-centered mental health policies and expanded counseling and treatment infrastructure.”

In its recently finalized third Basic Plan for Mental Health and Welfare for 2026 to 2030, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced it would strengthen psychological counseling for high-risk groups with depression and anxiety, and introduce home visits and remote counseling for people with limited mobility and those living in areas underserved by social services.

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 JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]