'Mental illness did not hand him knife'
A bereaved family member carries the portrait of deceased psychiatrist Lim Se-won during his funeral at Korea Red Cross Hospital in central Seoul, Friday. He was stabbed to death by a patient with bipolar disorder at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Dec. 31./ Yonhap
By Jung Hae-myoung
The recent murder of Lim Se-won, a psychiatrist at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul, by one of his patients, has catalyzed a debate on mental health.
Experts worry such cases could aggravate distorted views and prejudices against mental patients, preventing people from seeking proper medication and treatment and thus resulting in more serious social problems.
A patient with bipolar disorder stabbed Lim at the hospital on Dec. 31. The cause of the murder is still unclear as the patient is not giving a clear testimony. In another murder case where a customer at an internet cafe in western Seoul stabbed a worker there to death in October, the perpetrator said he had been suffering from depression for over 10 years.
While these cases have brought public fear of sudden attacks by mentally unstable people, Jeong Dong-chung, a psychiatrist from Chung Mental Clinic, said people should think about it separately from mental health issues.
“Innocent patients can be hurt again when society forms a stigma on mental illness,” Jeong told The Korea Times. “Some may hesitate to seek help because of the stigma.”
A 30-year-old surnamed Choi said the majority of people still judge people who suffer from mental illness.
“Of course, we should not discriminate against mentally-ill people, but I think Korean society is not ready to talk about mental illness yet,” Choi said. “When you say you have mental problems, it is likely that you will be disadvantaged or get strange looks from colleagues.”
Experts worry the recent murder cases can cause discrimination against mental illness.
Based on various health data, the Ministry of Health and Welfare estimated in 2017 that 4.7 million people experienced mental problems the previous year, with 610,000 of them having a depressive disorder.
However, only 9.6 percent of people in Korea said they have had counseling with doctors for such problems, mainly because they were worried about what other people might think of them.
Along the same lines, young jobseekers in their 20s to 30s are worried whether their medical records of psychiatric treatment could affect their careers in the future.
Although health records cannot be disclosed without consent ― unless requested by the police or the prosecution in a criminal investigation ― people still fear they will get disadvantaged in college or job applications.
Some others refuse to visit mental health professionals as they believe mental issues can be overcome with willpower, which is one of the reasons preventing people from getting proper medication and treatment.
“One patient in his 50s came to the hospital, dragged by his family. He refused to take the pills saying he can overcome his issues by himself, because he could not simply bear the notion that he is weak,” said Heo Gyu-hyeong, a psychiatrist at Gasan mental health clinic center.
“But mental illness is also a chemical reaction in the brain and pills can definitely help.”
A public discourse on mental health is virtually nonexistent, because many people think seeking help means one is weak-minded.
“In Korea people are more cautious and reserved about telling others about their mental health. My friends in the United States go to therapists regularly and there is nothing wrong with making it public,” a 26-year-old accountant surnamed Park said.
“People talk about mental illness in the media but such talk is mostly exaggerated and dramatized,” Heo said. “They do not inspect why it happens and only remain superficial.”
Heo emphasized it is important for mental health patients to accept themselves for who they are and society needs to accept these individuals.
“People go to the dentist when they have bad teeth, but they don't get worried about other people calling them a dental patient,” said Lee Seo-hyeon, the illustrator and manager of the therapy center Every Mind.
“This is the same thing. But people label mental issues as something disgraceful, and people get worried about being labeled as crazy.”
Lee added, “People would think it ridiculous if one does not go to the dentist to get help for rotten teeth. Same thing applies for mental health. The more you try to endure the pain, the more it will backfire in other ways.”