Korea's mental health support project users concentrated in Seoul, younger adults

Criticism has been raised that the “National Mental Health Investment Support Project” requires policy adjustments to address disparities by age and region, as its actual users are concentrated in the Seoul metro region and among people in their 20s to 40s.

This program was promoted as a core task of the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration's mental health policy innovation plan.

According to data submitted to Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the Democratic Party of Korea by the Korea Social Security Information Service, 51.9 percent (857) of the service providers and 58.8 percent (3,190) of the personnel for the National Mental Health Investment Support Project were concentrated in the greater Seoul area from July last year to June this year.

During the same period, the highest proportion of users was in their 30s, at 26 percent, followed by those in their 20s, at 19.6 percent, those in their 40s, at 18.2 percent, and teenagers, at 14.8 percent. The share of middle-aged and older adults aged 50 and above was only 21.4 percent.

Regional disparities were also pronounced. Of the total 88,318 users, those in the Seoul metro region accounted for 57.7 percent of the total. Voucher payment transactions also exhibited a regional pattern: out of 522,251 total transactions, Seoul accounted for 139,438 (26.7 percent), Gyeonggi Province for 138,886 (26.6 percent), North Gyeongsang Province for 25,585 (4.9 percent), and South Gyeongsang Province for 25,329 (4.8 percent).

“Problems are emerging because the Yoon administration rushed to implement this project, including exempting it from a preliminary feasibility study,” Seo said. “To protect the mental health of the public, comprehensive policy improvements and qualitative enhancements are necessary, including eliminating age and regional disparities and strengthening accessibility for middle-aged and older adults and residents in rural areas.”