Mental health policy

Ultimate goal should be dignified, harmonious lives

President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed on Tuesday that the government will proactively address mental health issues instead of leaving them solely to individuals.

The “mental health policy innovation plan” calls for the state to manage the entire cycle of mental diseases, from prevention to recovery and the safe return of patients to society.

That was a welcome — if long overdue — policy turnaround.

According to studies, a quarter of the people who live in wealthy countries experience mental health problems at least once in their lives. And 1 percent show severe symptoms. The situation is even more serious in this country. Korea has 650,000 people with schizophrenia among its 55 million population, and 1.6 million Koreans are at risk of suicide or self-harm.

That and other social and economic factors have pushed Korea’s suicide rate to the world’s highest level in the past two decades. Random acts of violence against others on the street are also on the rise. Something must be done urgently. The president’s pledge reflects such a sense of crisis.

However, the “innovative” plan reveals some old mindsets underneath.

Yoon and his administration are approaching the issue from an economic perspective. “Mental health is directly linked to economic growth with a high cost-benefit ratio,” he said. “In this low birthrate era, resolving this issue could improve people’s quality of life and drive national growth.” That is what the president said toward the end of his speech — like a conclusion.

The plan also exposes Korean society’s bias toward mentally ill people as potential criminals. People with schizophrenia are seen as requiring identification and isolation in a secluded facility. Things are different in advanced countries. The U.S. and Europe, which experienced mental health problems among their public far earlier, shifted to a system in the 1960s where society embraces the mentally ill, including severe cases. They treat patients while trying to keep them close to society.

Korea’s lag in addressing this matter is starkly evident in its corresponding budget allocation.

Establishing emergency rooms dedicated to mental health is crucial to avert sudden deteriorations in individuals with mental illnesses. The health ministry requested 8.4 billion won ($6.35 million) to increase such facilities. The finance ministry dropped it from the 2024 budget. Instead, the budget allocators earmarked 10.2 billion won to support the police in acquiring low-risk guns, truncheons, and vests, ostensibly to handle “harmful responses” from individuals with severe mental disorders.

They regard mental diseases as harmful factors triggering social crimes.

Also problematic is the introduction of a “judicial hospitalization” system giving judges the right to send to hospitals mentally ill people who could harm others or themselves, all in the name of public safety. European countries adopt the system to protect patients’ human rights. In Korea, it will be used to hospitalize patients forcefully, against their or their guardians’ will.

The current system, where only patients’ parents have the deciding rights, is problematic. However, doctors, not judges or police officers, should decide hospitalization. Korean judges are burdened with heavy caseloads, and few have sufficient expertise to decide hospitalization.

Moreover, the average hospitalization period of schizophrenics in Korea is 200 days, compared to six days for Americans, 35 days for Britons and 89 days for Australians. Post-hospitalization treatment is an even bigger problem for most families. The World Health Organization recommends two things: Don’t leave hospitalizing and other treatment decisions to families and allocate 5 percent of the health budget to mental disorders.

Korea violates both. It spends only 1.6 percent of the healthcare budget on mental illnesses. The absolute amount must be expanded before reforming the insurance coverage system and other detailed steps. Presidential resolve without budgetary backing holds little weight.

Korea’s highest suicide rate and lowest birth rate mirror profound dissatisfaction with life. An increasingly larger share of Koreans feel victimized by their country’s ragsto-riches modern history, unprecedented worldwide. Even foreigners express concerns about this country vanishing from the map.

Political leaders must prioritize the survival of their country and its people. The people are tired of competition and growth.

Give them a break.