Bills for psychiatric treatment to be slashed by up to 40% from July

Korea Times file photo

By Lee Suh-yoon

Starting July, psychiatric treatment will be more affordable.

The cost of seeing a psychiatrist will be slashed by up to 39 percent, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sunday.

Under the reform, patients who originally paid 7,500 won ($6.80) for a 10-minute consultation and 17,300 won ($15.70) for a 50-minute consultation with a psychiatrist at a neighborhood clinic, will have to pay only 4,600 won and 11,600 won, respectively.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) will also be covered by national health insurance.

The ministry hopes the extended coverage will help patients gain better access to professional help for mental health problems.

Only one-in-five people with mental health problems consult a psychiatrist, according to the most recent public report on mental health.

According to a 2011 study, almost one in four Koreans experienced a mental health problem. This feeds into the nation's high suicide rate, which has consistently topped all other OECD countries since 2003.