Recent health data reveals South Korea records the highest number of psychiatric prescriptions domestically, with a notable surge among elementary and middle school students. These prescriptions have more than doubled over the past five years, driven by academic pressures and rising mental health concerns.
Overall Surge in Prescriptions
Statistics indicate a total of 24.4 million psychiatric prescriptions recently, marking a 36.7% increase from 17.85 million in 2020. This trend underscores growing mental health challenges across age groups.
Sharp Rise Among Young Students
Elementary and middle school students show the most dramatic growth, with prescriptions doubling. For ages 0-9, numbers jumped from 44,000 to 113,000—a 156.8% rise. Ages 10-19 saw an increase from 565,000 to 1.285 million, up 127.4%.
Officials attribute this primarily to academic stress. Even high school students (ages 60+) experienced a 21.3% uptick, from 8.686 million to 10.538 million.
ADHD Diagnoses Skyrocket
The steepest increase involves ‘attention deficit hyperactivity disorder’ (ADHD) medications, soaring from 1.57 million to 8.38 million—a 433.8% surge. Other conditions like anxiety (80.4%), sleep disorders (77.6%), and mood disorders (59.3%) also rose significantly.
Government Response
The third Basic Plan on Mental Health (2026-2030) aims to bolster counseling for mental health issues, including anxiety. Officials emphasize expanding support services and discussions to address societal pressures on vulnerable groups.
