Half of Koreans feel resentful, one in three depressed
More than half of Korean adults are in a "state of chronic resentment," and one in three people ? especially people in their 30s and with lower income ? were feeling depressed, revealed a recent survey.
A research team at the Graduate School of Public Health at Seoul National University (SNU) released results from its “Survey for Promoting Mental Health and Preparing for Mental Health Crises” on Wednesday. The online survey was conducted last month among 1,500 Korean men and women aged 18 and over.
When asked to evaluate the overall mental health level of Korean society, respondents gave an average score of 2.59 out of 5 ? falling short of even the midpoint score of 3. “Poor” received 48.1 percent of responses, nearly four times more than “good” at 11.4 percent, signaling what many see as a red flag for Korean society.
The most commonly cited reason was “a societal atmosphere that emphasizes competition and performance.” Additionally, 91.1 percent of respondents agreed that mental health issues and disorders can arise due to political, social and economic upheavals as well as major disasters.
The survey also examined respondents’ emotional and psychological states. Some 33.1 percent reported experiencing moderate to high levels of depression, as measured by a self-report scale. Depression was most prevalent among people in their 30s, at 44.9 percent, and those with monthly incomes below 2 million won ($1,440), at 52.6 percent.
Using a five-point self-assessment scale, the research team found that 12.8 percent of respondents were experiencing “severe acute resentment,” 2.5 or higher on the scale, and 54.9 percent were in a “state of chronic resentment,” at 1.6 or higher on the scale. Though slightly down from 14.7 percent in 2018, the proportion of those suffering severe resentment was up from 9.3 percent last year.
Severe resentment was most common among those in their 30s, at 17.4 percent, and least common among those aged 60 or older, at 9.5 percent.
Among people who perceived themselves as being in the “lower class,” 16.5 percent reported severe resentment ? the highest rate ? though even among the “upper class,” the figure reached 15.0 percent. The “middle class” recorded a relatively lower rate of 9.2 percent.
Perceptions of fairness were generally negative. When asked whether they agreed with the statement “The world is basically fair,” 69.5 percent said they disagreed.
Regarding the political and social issues that most triggered resentment, respondents cited government corruption and coverups, immorality and corruption among political parties and politicians and disasters caused by poor safety management.
Nearly half of the respondents, or 47.1 percent, said they had experienced serious stress over the past year that affected their health. The figure was highest among people in their 40s, at 55.4 percent, those in their 30s at 51.7 percent and those earning less than 2 million won a month at 53.8 percent.
The biggest causes of stress were changes in personal or family health at the individual or family level, changes in social relationships at the social level and changes in the political environment at the societal level.
Despite the widespread stress and mental health challenges, many respondents said it was difficult to seek help. Some 56.2 percent said they would be reluctant to inform others or seek assistance due to fear of social stigma or discrimination. A similar percentage said, “If I were mentally unwell, my life would be worthless.”
“The survey shows that the mental health of Koreans is poor and that Korean society needs to take mental health issues more seriously,” said Lee Yoon-kyung, a researcher at SNU’s Graduate School of Public Health who participated in the research. “It is essential to implement more practical and realistic improvements to mental illness prevention and management programs.”