Between competition and comparison, teen anxiety disorder cases soar in Korea

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The number of teenagers receiving treatment for anxiety disorders has risen sharply over the past four years, with a notable surge among younger children.

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on Friday, a total of 41,611 people aged 10 to 19 were treated for anxiety disorders between January and December last year — a 65.2 percent increase from 25,192 in 2020. The number has grown steadily, from 32,008 in 2021 to 37,401 in 2022, surpassing 40,000 last year.

The increase was even steeper among children under 10. Last year, 4,336 in this age group received treatment for anxiety disorders, up 87.6 percent from 2,311 in 2020.

Overall, the total number of patients treated for anxiety disorders across all age groups rose 20.2 percent, from 757,251 in 2020 to 910,385 in 2024. By age, increases were recorded as follows: 24.7 percent for people in their 20s, 30 percent for 30s, 25.3 percent for 40s, 12.4 percent for 50s, 14.7 percent for 60s, 4.2 percent for 70s, 16.7 percent for 80s and 50.3 percent for people in their 90s.

Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions marked by abnormal and pathological anxiety or fear that disrupt daily life. Symptoms can include headaches, rapid heartbeat, increased breathing rate and gastrointestinal issues due to heightened sympathetic nervous system activity. These disorders can affect work, relationships and school life, and encompass panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder and selective mutism.

Experts cite academic pressures, excessive competition, social media comparisons, hormonal changes and improved access to mental health services as contributing factors to the rise among children and teenagers.

A 2024 survey by ChildFund Korea of 10,140 students from the first grade of elementary school to the second year of high school found their average “children’s happiness index” to be just 45.3 out of 100. Those who felt pressured to study scored lower, at 44.16, compared with 45.95 among those without such pressure.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.