The number of children and teenagers admitted to psychiatric hospitals in South Korea has nearly doubled in four years, underscoring a deepening mental health crisis among youth. Experts warn that conditions once managed through counseling or medication are increasingly requiring hospitalization.
According to Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-seok, citing data from the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of hospitalized patients under 19 rose from 1,076 in 2020 to 2,129 in 2024. Admissions for behavioral disorders such as ADHD grew from 266 to 668, while those for depression and anxiety jumped from 514 to 963.
Outpatient records showed more than 2.2 million psychiatric prescriptions between 2021 and mid-2025. The number of elementary-aged boys prescribed antipsychotics more than doubled to 51,584, and girls to 14,533. Antidepressant use among girls aged 13 to 17 rose 75%, with similar growth among boys. Even preschoolers are increasingly being prescribed psychiatric drugs.
Prescription costs also surged, with antipsychotics climbing from 222.7 billion won in 2021 to 266.3 billion in 2024, and antidepressants from 66.6 billion to 85.8 billion. Seo urged swift government intervention and stressed that counseling and therapy should remain the primary form of treatment rather than medication.