The number of people suffering from depression here is increasing for one reason or another. According to recent survey by the Korea Labor Institute (KLI), one out of five people between the ages of 45 and 59 suffer from the mental disorder. This is another indication of the hardships being forced on those who are the backbone of our society.
People with depression typically resist the idea that they are suffering from a mental disorder. Outwardly, they look normal and no one would notice that they are suffering from melancholia. In many cases, even the sufferers themselves don’t really feel that there is anything wrong with them. But the illness is dangerous enough to lead to people’s deaths when the condition worsens unnoticed. The horrible fact is that it makes people feel like committing suicide.
The rampant suicide rate of people here in recent years is associated with the illness. In 2006, our suicide rate, calculated in numbers of suicides per 100,000, was 26.1, the highest among the member nations of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Some psychologists point out that anxiety and stress caused by economic difficulties and precarious job security are exacerbating mental disorders.
Medical expenses for various forms of mental illness are increasing at a rate far greater than other illnesses. Between 2001 and 2005, the amount spent to treat mental difficulties increased by as much as 58.7 percent. Some doctors said that the drastic rise in the number of such patients could be attributed to the fact that people are less hesitant to visit doctors for mental symptoms than in the past. However, there are others who claim that the actual number of those suffering mental disorders is far higher than is actually known.
According to the KLI, the biggest single reason that drives people into depression is unemployment. The elderly were found to become twice more likely to be afflicted with mental trouble when they lost their jobs. It seems clear that recent socio-economic hardships have contributed greatly to driving people into mental difficulties. It is time for the government to pay attention to the deteriorating mental health of people.
It may be difficult to create jobs for the elderly at a time when the number of jobless young people is on the rise. But the government needs to move positively on employment of the elderly. However, what is more important is people’s flexibility and positive feelings in their daily lives. People also need to develop their own remedies to fight surging mental troubles in times of difficulties.
