NHRCK Recommends Expansion and Improved Accessibility of Mental Health Services for Young People
On January 11 2023, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea(NHRCK) made recommendations to the Minister of Health and Welfare on institutional reforms for expansion and improved accessibility of mental health services for young people.
Mental health indicators for young people in their 20s and 30s in Korea, including suicide rates, suicide ideation rates and percentage of groups at risk of developing depression, are steadily deteriorating. For instance, according to the 2021 data released by Statistics Korea, a national statistical organization, suicide accounts for two thirds(65.1%) of all deaths in young people in their 20s and nearly half(48.4%) in those in their 30s.
Underlying causes of young people’s mental health problems include an educational system and societal culture characterized by an excessive emphasis on one’s ability, extreme competition and uniformity. Sociostructural factors, such as social norms that require people to fulfill roles appropriate to their age and status as well as social distancing rules and economic shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, are also responsible for the decline in the mental health of young people. It is time to stop blaming individuals for their mental health issues and start exploring ways for the community and State to improve their mental health.
The right of all persons to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is recognized under Article 12(1) of the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its General Comment No. 14 acknowledges that the right to health is a fundamental human rights indispensable for the exercise of other rights. Furthermore, the World Health Organization released a recommendation for the provision of integrated individualized mental health services for youths both on online and offline platforms with a view to improving their resilience, self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Against this backdrop, the NHRCK pays attention to the benefits and importance of the voucher program and the early intervention center that the Ministry of Health and Welfare are running as part of mental health services for young people and issues the following recommendations for expansion and improved accessibility of these two projects.
The NHRCK calls on the Ministry of Health and Welfare to take the following steps for the voucher programs designed for young people experiencing mental health problems in their daily lives.
- Legislate the program to ensure consistent and stable implementation
- Include a criteria for service renewal in the guidelines on young people’s mental health support projects to guarantee the availability of services for up to one year and provide a basis in the guidelines for the extension of support beyond one year for those with economic hardships
- Expand mental health support for young people based on statistical data on vulnerable youth groups and young people’s mental health to make sure the voucher program is accessible to young people in need of psychological counseling services.
The NHRCK also presented its recommendations concerning early intervention centers that offer specialized care services for young people with or at high risk of developing mental health disorders.
- Provide a legal basis for the establishment and operation of early intervention centers for young people in the Mental Health Act to ensure their continued access to mental health treatment
- Create multi-phase expansion plans that take into account youth populations by region and geographical distances for improved physical accessibility and availability of services
- Revise related guidelines for the operation of centers in a space separate from or attached to the mental health service center to reduce psychological barriers of users
The NHRCK hopes that these recommendations are implemented promptly to guarantee young people’s access to quality mental health services without fear of prejudice or stigma and create a sociocultural environment where all people freely access mental health services.
